Life Can Be Strange
by Soaoas
Summary: During a night out with Franky, Allie protects Bea from a drunk and angry Harry. Who knew a fun night at a club would lead to her fighting a guy in some back alley, or finding two new friends in a teenage girl and her mother? Life is strange sometimes. Bea/Allie centric for the most part.
1. I

**Quick author note. This is my first time writing a fanfic, I feel I'm a bit late to the Ballie party. While watching the show, I quickly became infatuated with their relationship. Episode 4x12 hit me hard, unlike any other show. **

**I haven't quite decided the pace to take in this story with Bea and Allie romance wise, I'm hoping to figure it out along the way. **

It has been a quiet and uneventful night of patrols for Officer Will Jackson. Rare, especially for a Friday night. Just a couple of traffic stops and a minor car accident, though he can't complain, quiet nights like this give him a chance to catch up on paperwork. He takes a sip of his coffee, frowning at the now ice-cold temperature before checking the time on his laptop, 11:05 p.m.

"Just another hour, you got this."

Will pulls back onto the street from the parking lot he's been camped out in for the last hour to continue his patrol when the radio in his car crackles.

"Dispatch to Sierra Three."

"Sierra Three to Dispatch, go ahead."

"We have a report of a domestic assault, the call came in from Nelson Avenue, the nightclub called Milo's. A woman was beaten severely by her husband, the caller states she's barely conscious. Caller also said her friend fought the husband off, but sustained some injuries. Ambulances are en route."

Nelson Avenue is home to most of the city's bars and nightclubs. An alleyway runs behind the string of buildings, which is notorious for drunken brawls, drug deals, and sexual assaults. Will frequented this district in his younger years, Milo's in particular, though never participating in the aforementioned activities. But to say he didn't use drugs on occasion would be a lie. A line of coke here and there, ecstasy every once in a while.

He called it quits after meeting his wife, he actually met her in said club.

_Eight years ago, man time flies._

He doesn't have time to reminisce, however, and sparks up his reply.

"Bar district, huh? That's out of my patrol area, Dispatch."

"You're the closest unit available, Sierra Three."

"Copy that, on my way there now."

Will lets out a sigh, his night is about to get a lot longer. On his way, he makes a quick call home, letting his wife know not to wait up.

* * *

"Fucking Franky, just bought this dress."

Allie steps out the back door of the club, into the cool night air. She lights a cigarette, glaring at the huge stain down her white dress front.

"Just had to be red wine, of course."

Allie takes a few drags, listening to the thump of a bass-heavy song, tapping her foot to the beat. After a minute or so, she notices another sound that wasn't there before. Something dropping and being drug, followed by a slam. She dismisses it.

_Probably someone just taking out the trash. _

Allie snuffs out her cigarette, getting ready to head back inside when a sound, like a muffled cry, makes her ears perk up. She looks around, not seeing anything.

It could be someone drunk, not unusual for a club. She shrugs and opens the door when a voice stops her dead in her tracks.

"Look what you made me do, thought you could flirt with that prick, huh?"

Allie hears a woman's voice reply.

"Harry, I'm sorry, please stop! He offered to buy me a drink, I turned him d-!"

The sentence gets cut off with a pained groan.

"Shut the fuck up! I saw the way you looked at him. Too late for sorry now, don't you think?"

Allie's stomach drops, she knows the sound of a beating, solid thuds of someone being hit or kicked. She ventures further out from the door, and looking to her left down the alley, she sees the source of the sound, what 's clearly a woman huddled against a dumpster, a man laying into her with savage kicks. Before she can even think, Allie's legs are propelling her towards the couple.

"Hey, leave her alone!"

* * *

"Sierra Five to Sierra Three."

"Sierra Three, I hear you, Sierra Five."

"Switch over to the private channel."

"Copy."

Will switches channels as instructed, knowing what this is likely about.

"What is it, Fletch?"

"Well in honor of someone's birthday, figured we'd get some drinks this weekend, for old time's sake. Or are you too busy for your best friend?"

"Oh, so you did remember?"

"Of course I did, asshole. I haven't been your friend this long just to forget a thirtieth. This one's special you know."

Will smiles, he and Fletcher have been best friends for ten plus years. They're close enough that Will considers him a brother, even his kids refer to him as uncle Matt. Fletch had also been pestering him into celebrating his birthday this year, stating, _You only turn thirty once, go big or go home, Will. _

Will never makes a big deal out of birthdays but a night out sounds great.

"All right, where are we going?"

"I was thinking Milo's, your old stomping grounds."

"Ha."

"Something funny?"

"Nothing like that, but I'm actually headed there now, got called to a domestic."

"Husband and Wife?"

"Yup."

"See? It's a sign you need to go back there. But seriously, what kind of man do you have to be to lay hands on a woman? Someone you're supposed to love, even. Sometimes I wish I wasn't a cop, I would go find these bastards and beat them down like the scum they are. Like a vigilante, you know?"

"Like Batman?" Will replies.

"Shut up Will, I gotta go. It looks like there's a burglary in progress. See you this weekend, right?"

"You bet, buddy."

Will turns his radio off and he checks the time yet again, he's just under fifteen minutes away from the club. He decides to pick up the pace a bit, turning his lights and sirens on.

"Fuck off, this is none of your business! It's between me and my wife!"

Harry yells as Allie runs up behind him, she can smell the stench of liquor on his breath.

Allie sends a glare his way, "I'm making it my business, now get your hands off of her."

"I said fuck off, bitch!"

Harry shoves Allie, sending her to the ground, the back of her head smacking hard and leaving her dazed. She's down long enough for him to get in a few more hits on his original victim.

Once Allie gets back to her feet she's on Harry again, this time scratching his face with her nails and grabbing one of his hands to stop another hit. Instead of a push this time, he backhands Allie, making her stumble back, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

With a free hand now, Harry redirects his rage to the blonde, grabbing the front of her dress, punching her right in the nose, causing her eyes to water.

_That's probably broken, _Allie has enough time to think before another two hits catch her right eye, sending her to the ground again, flat on her back.

_God, this fucker hits hard._

She'd been hurt worse than this while working the streets, but still. His fists connect with some force.

Allie could now hardly see out of her right eye, with it instantly swelling almost completely shut. With one good eye, she sees Harry advance towards her and takes a chance, forcing a high heel at his groin.

She knows she hit her target when he groans in pain and sinks to the ground. Without wasting any time, she stands up, answering with a punch of her own, right in his forehead, sending a jolt of pain up the side of her hand.

Allie shakes her hand out and lashes out with a flurry of kicks, punches, and scratches, anything to keep him down and buy time, hoping someone would notice the commotion and offer their help. Harry eventually recovers from the low blow enough to push Allie away and rise to his feet.

He turns and runs the opposite way, taking a right onto the street, disappearing from her sight. Allie immediately reaches into her pocket and pulls her phone out, frowning when she sees it's smashed and unusable.

"Well, shit."

She thinks about going back inside, but she doesn't want to leave the woman by herself. She instead decides to check the woman's pockets, finding one.

"Bingo."

Allie presses a button to turn the screen on, nothing happens.

"Dead? Just my luck."

Allie notices some movement and turns her attention to the woman on the ground.

She sits down on the ground next to her, studying her features. Long hair, red by the looks of it. Mid-thirties if she had to guess an age. Allie finds that she's quite attractive, even with blood and dirt all over her face. Any other circumstance, she would try her luck hooking up with this woman.

_Really, the shit that just happened and you're thinking about getting laid?_

Allie's thoughts are interrupted by someone calling her name.

"Allie? Oh my God, the fuck happened to you?"

"Franky, help me. Her husband beat her up, I scared him away but she's not looking good."

"Allie, your face, let me-"

"I'm fine, just worry about her. Work your paramedic magic or something."

"l... I'm still in school, I'm not even certified yet. Should probably call the real medics."

Franky gets close enough to see the woman is in a bad way. She looks unconscious, if it wasn't for her chest rising and falling slightly, she could pass for a corpse.

Franky squats down next to Allie, "Move over, the least I can do is check her over. Okay, she has a weak pulse, she's definitely going to need a hospital. Her wrist looks fractured. Her nose looks busted too. I can't tell much else. Did you see him hit her at all?"

"She was on the ground, he was kicking her in the stomach, he kicked her in the face a few times too. Other than that, no."

"All right. I left my phone inside, I'll go call an ambulance and try to find a first-aid kit, stay with her!"

Franky jogs back inside the club, Allie hears the woman speak, her voice weak.

"What hap- Harry are..."

"It's okay, he's gone now. My friend went to call an ambulance, help should be here soon."

"Deb… need to-"

The woman tries sitting up, moaning in pain. Allie puts a hand on her shoulder to keep her down when she tries again.

"Hey, don't try getting up, you're hurt pretty bad. Just lie down."

"Who… are you?"

"I'm Allie, what's your name?"

"Bea."

Bea starts looking around frantically.

"Deb, need to call- my phone… can't find it."

"It's dead, I tried to use it already."

"Debbie, call her for me... please, I need to know-" Bea stops moving like she's losing consciousness again.

"Bea, look at me. Who's Debbie, who do you need me to call?"

"My daughter." Is the last thing Bea manages to get out before she goes still.

Franky returns shortly after, the first-aid kit in hand. "Ambulance and the police are on the way, ten minutes out or so. Now, let me look at your face."

**(Will, on the scene, 11:20 p.m.)**

Will parks his car and gets out, taking note of the small group of drunks that have formed. He's hoping they don't start causing a scene, he doesn't have the time or the patience right now. He walks up to the ambulance parked in the street, recognizing the paramedic on the scene, Rose.

"Rose, what are the details? What happened here?"

"Hi, Will. So the victim was Bea Smith, she was able to tell us her husband did this, Harry Smith. She gave me his description and I reported him to dispatch, you should have his info soon."

Will's radio sounds the affirmative.

"Dispatch to all Sierra units, we're currently on the lookout for the suspect of an assault. His name is Harry Smith, Caucasian male, approximately 35 years old, brown hair, brown-"

Will turns down his radio, he'll read the report later, he urges Rose to continue.

"Anyway, she was in critical condition. She was barely conscious, had difficulty breathing, I think a possible collapsed lung. So they transported her ASAP, should be at the hospital any minute. She had a broken wrist as well.

We looked her over and there were pre-existing scars, fresh bruises all over her body. It's obvious to me this wasn't the first time he laid hands on her. There's evidence of self-harming too, scars marking both of her inner thighs and faint ones on her wrists."

"I see. Anything else?"

Rose points a thumb over her shoulder at a young blonde sitting in the back of the ambulance.

"Just that she fought Harry off, 'kicked his cowardly ass,' according to her. Her name is Allie Novak. Her friend was the one who called us. Allie needs to be checked out at the hospital, I think she might have a concussion."

"Does Bea have any family to notify?"

"A daughter, Debbie Smith. Can't find her contact info, Allie has Bea's phone but it's dead, so no luck there."

"I'll need to talk with Allie before you take her to the hospital."

"She's all yours."

"Excuse me, Allie? I'm Officer Jackson, you can call me Will. I need to ask you a few questions when you get to the hospital, so I can write up a statement about what happened here tonight. Do you want me to contact anyone for you?"

"No thanks."

She turns her head and Will can't keep himself from staring, she looks beat to hell.

Allie smirks. "You should see the other guy."

* * *

"I'm done with Ms. Novak here, she's ready for your questions. Let me know when you're done."

Will walks into her hospital room.

"How are you feeling, Allie?"

"How do I look? Actually, don't answer that. How's Bea, did they tell you anything?"

"She's critical but stable, she's out of surgery now. I can't tell you much, but if you didn't show up when you did, well just know you may have saved her life."

"I don't feel like much of a hero, but thanks. Would I be able to see her, sit with her or something? At least until her daughter shows up, she shouldn't have to be alone."

Will sees the worry flash in her eyes, it's genuine.

"No, sorry, but the hospital is pretty strict about family members only. Plus she's under protection by an officer, in case her husband shows up here."

"You don't think he would, do you?"

Will shrugs. "Can't be too careful, I've worked this job long enough to learn to expect the unexpected."

"Well can't you say I'm, I don't know her cousin? That's family enough right?"

"I could, but that's against the rules and I happen to like my job. If Bea wants, she can approve you as a visitor when she wakes up."

Allie winks a few times with her good eye. "You can't bend the rules a little bit? I'll make it worth your while."

Will points to the wedding ring on his finger.

"I respectfully decline, and you've just tried soliciting an officer, illegal, by the way. Now if you don't mind, I need to ask you these questions."

"Fire away."

"Full name?"

"Allie Novak, no middle."

"Okay, can you tell me about tonight's events? In as much detail as you remember."

"Sure, I was at the club, Milo's. I went out back to smoke a cigarette and I heard voices. I looked down the alley, and saw a guy kicking a woman that was on the ground."

"Were they arguing, anything like that?"

"I heard something about Bea turning a guy down that tried to buy her a drink, but Harry wasn't having it. That's about the time I ran over and fought him off, he got some good hits in, if you couldn't tell."

"When you fought, did you injure him in any way?"

"I scratched his face, I know that. Kicked him in the baby maker. Punched and kicked him some more, but I don't think he was hurt too bad, mostly his pride. Then he ran off, I was looking after Bea when my friend Franky came out and called you guys."

"Was he intoxicated, could you tell?"

"Drunk as a skunk. Could smell it on his breath."

"Did he hurt you in any way, other than your altercation?"

"Are you asking if he tried to rape me? Nah, I would've killed him if he did. Are we about done here? I'm feeling pretty tired."

"Just one more thing, would you like to file assault charges against Harry Smith?"

"Yes."

"Okay, if you think of anything else, give me a call. Here's my card. Have a good night, Allie."

Will exits, and Allie goes to sleep, thoughts of a certain redhead on her mind.


	2. II

The next afternoon, Allie is in the bathroom of her hospital room thinking of the previous night's events. She'd been kept for observation overnight due to a headache and blurred vision, the effects of her slight concussion.

Her eyes drift to the mirror, scanning her beaten face, nose bruised and swollen. Bruising under both eyes, the right eye barely opened. It looks like she'd been in a car accident.

Broken nose, check. Two black eyes, one swollen nearly completely shut, check. Busted lip, check. Not to mention the sprained ankle and various cuts and scrapes along her arms and legs, no doubt from being thrown around. A broken pinky finger to top it all off, from hitting Harry in the forehead.

None of her own injuries matter to her, at least Bea is safe. Allie feels a strong sense of duty to protect this woman she doesn't even know. Even if they never see each other again, and she hopes that isn't the case, Allie will make sure Harry won't hurt her anymore. She doesn't know exactly how, but she'll try. At the very least, let her know about the shelter if she needs to escape.

He could've killed her and next time, she might not be so lucky. Bea is no longer critical, but she's still only semi-conscious. Though her nurse couldn't go into detail, it brings Allie relief knowing Bea is expected to make a full recovery. She just wishes someone could get ahold of Debbie to let her know.

A knock on the door gets her attention.

"Allie? You have a visitor, want me to send her in?"

She's not expecting anyone.

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

Allie opens the door and steps out.

"Hey, Allie. God, you look like shit."

"Thanks, Franky, you know how to make a girl feel special. Though you're looking pretty shabby too. No time for a shower today?"

"Just spent a long day down at the 'Y' if you know what I mean."

Franky puts her fingers into the trademark v shape and wags her tongue.

"I get it, just put your hand down. What are you doing here? You hate hospitals."

"I do hate them, but I figured you could use a change of clothes and I brought you an old phone of mine, try not to break it."

She puts the items on the bed in the room.

"So, what kind of food they got in this dump? I'm starving."

"The cafeteria isn't bad, I was just about to head there. Let me change and we can go."

"Lead the way."

They get their food and make way to an empty table, Allie taking note of a teenage girl sitting alone. She's staring into a cup of coffee, looking like she could use a hug.

_Why does she look so familiar?_

Franky takes a sip of her soda.

"When are they letting you out of here?"

"They want me to stay another night, to make sure my slight concussion stays that way."

Allie's gaze falls on the young girl again.

_Where have I seen her before?_

"And what about Red, they tell you anything? What about her daughter?"

"Who, you mean Bea?"

"Yeah."

"They couldn't tell me anything other than she's going to recover, wouldn't let me in to see her either. Don't think they found her daughter yet."

"And her husband?"

"I imagine the police are looking for him."

Franky sees a certain look in Allie's eyes at the mention of Bea, one she's seen before.

"You're worried about her, huh? Was it love at first sight?" She teases.

Allie rolls her eyes. "It's not like that, I almost feel a bond with her. It's hard to explain, but I just want to be there for her, protect her for some reason."

"You don't think it's because of what happened with-"

"I don't know," she interrupts.

Franky takes a short break from their conversation to finish eating before speaking again.

"So, how are you gonna get involved with this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, Allie. This situation, you're going to try and help."

"He could've killed her, Franky. From what I saw, last night wasn't just a one-time thing. You even saw it for yourself, when they checked her over in the ambulance. All those bruises she had. It's not the first time he beat her. Next time she might not be so lucky, what if there's nobody there to step in? And her daughter, what if he tries hurting her? What if he already has?"

"That's not your problem."

"I know. It's really not my business. I feel like I have to do something though, help any way I can."

"What if she doesn't want your help?"

"Then she doesn't. There's nothing I can do about that. If anything I'll just let her know about the shelter, if she needs to escape."

_And she does._

A few minutes of silence later, Franky looks up from her phone and notices Allie looking over her shoulder at something behind her.

"Hey, what's so interesting? What are you staring at?"

"That girl sitting behind you, she looks so familiar, but I don't think I've met her before."

Franky turns around, wanting to see for herself.

"Now that you mention it, she looks like-"

Franky turns back to face Allie.

"Red."

"Bea."

They say it in unison.

Allie stands up.

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

**(Will, on his way to check in with Bea)**

Last night, Will was able to track down a charger back at the station and powered Bea's phone on. There were only three contacts. He started by calling Debbie's number, but there was no answer, he left a message. He called another number, the salon Bea works at. Speaking to a woman named Maxine, she mentioned the girl went out of town with some friends.

The third number is Harry's. He calls, it goes straight to voicemail. Will leaves a short message insisting that Harry turn himself in. Now it's just a waiting game. For Debbie to return his call, for Harry to be brought in.

Will doesn't want to be the one to tell a seventeen-year-old kid her mother almost died at the hands of her father, but the thought of his children in this situation changes his mind. He'd try calling one more time, then maybe leave the phone with Bea or one of her nurses.

After a short drive, Will pulls into the hospital parking lot. He's about to leave his car when his phone rings. He answers after seeing Fletcher's name pop up on the screen.

"What's up, Fletch?"

"Will I have great news, we got the bastard. Harry Smith. Jake and I just brought him in."

"How'd you find him?"

"You know that salon Bea works at? The owner, Maxine called and said somebody had broken in, the security camera showed Harry. She noticed Bea's station was destroyed, drawers ripped out, supplies all over."

"Why would he do that?"

"I'll get to that. Anyway, Maxine also said a key and high-end camera Bea kept in a drawer went missing. Said photography was a hobby of hers. So Jakey and I head over to fill out a report. But it just so happens on the way, we see none other than Harry Smith, driving like a maniac.

We light him up, he doesn't stop. So we follow him, he's weaving in and out of traffic, just crazy. Then he stops, we followed him to his house. He gets out, runs into the garage, shuts the door and locks it. We get up to the garage, Jake is telling him to come out. Harry doesn't say anything, but we hear him inside, making some noise like he's smashing something. So I say fuck it and kick the door in.

I get in, see a busted camera on the floor, Harry sitting at a desk trying to plug something into a laptop. There was an open lockbox on the desk too, think that's what the key was for. Told him to stop, he gets up and grabs a hammer. Tried swinging at me with it but Jake stopped him, took him to the ground and slapped some cuffs on his wrists."

Will is impressed. "Remind me to buy Jake a beer sometime, cause that's a hell of an arrest, especially for a rookie."

"That's not even the best part. I decided to see what he was doing with the laptop, it was the SD card from Bea's camera. So I plugged it in and loaded the photos up.

They're dated as far as five, six, seven years ago, all pictures of Bea. Bruises, cuts, black eyes, busted lips, broken bones. You name it, there was a picture of it. She was using the camera to document the beatings Harry gave. It made me sick to look at."

Fletch continues. "I looked In the lockbox and there was a journal, I'm almost done reading through it now. She wrote every single thing down. It was dated even further, earliest entry 8 years ago. The abuse started somewhere between their daughter's third and fourth birthday. Verbal at first, then he lost his job, started drinking. She wrote down arguments over the years, he said some of the most vile shit to her. There were also several emergency room visits, every time he hit her, he raped her as well, a dozen times or so.

There was another smaller camera in the box too. This one had videos on it, ten or more. From what I saw, she kept it hidden in the bedroom. But I couldn't stomach watching more than a few seconds, she recorded the rapes. A real piece of shit, this guy."

Will feels his anger rise. "Sick fucker. Question is, why would she wait so long to come forward about the abuse? Why take it for so many years?"

"It says she went to the police once before she thought of getting a camera and journal. A couple of bruises and her word against his didn't warrant an investigation back then, the fuckin' system failed her. She wanted him dead to rights this time. With this evidence, he'll be lucky to see the outside of a prison cell ever again."

"What about the daughter? Did he...?" Will trails off. The thought of Harry hurting his daughter kills his question.

"Didn't touch a hair on her head. Bea made sure of it, protected her. Strong woman, putting up with all that. It looks like Debbie was only vaguely aware of the abuse, the worst of it was when she wasn't around."

Fletch turns to another page.

"This one is recent, just three months ago, it seems he's laid off for a while."

"Until last night. And according to the bruises Bea had, he started back up a few days ago," Will corrects.

"This one says Debbie was sent to a family member's for a vacation for about a week, that turned into a month. Looks like Harry took it too far that time, nearly killed Bea. She was in the hospital for about two weeks. Seems that's when Debbie put the pieces together. Kind of hard to keep a broken ankle hidden.

I see. She's refused to leave Bea alone with Harry these last few months. Here's the last entry, four days ago. Harry found the lockbox, threatened to hurt Debbie if Bea didn't tell him where the key was. Bea convinced Debbie to get out of town with her friends this weekend, they were planning to go to the police on Monday."

Fletcher closes the journal.

"It's moments like this, makes me love my job. We see the worst of humanity most of the time, but today there's a little less ugly in the world. Can't wait to see this guy put away."

Will shares the same sentiment.

"How does this proceed?"

"I'll hand everything over, a case will be started. They'll hold him until his sentencing. Probably deny bail, he's definitely a flight risk. My report from today will prove that. The trial should be a breeze, a jury will hit him with a guilty verdict so fast, his head will spin. Everyone involved may have to give testimony, which will further prove his guilt, nothing will go in his favor for sure. From there, my money's on Walford, and you know what they do to rapists up there."

Will shudders at that, remembering an incident from last year. A man in his sixties was arrested for raping a young girl, just a teenager. Word spread around to the other inmates somehow, and within a week of his arrival, the man in question was found dead in his cell.

He'd been castrated and lynched, a noose fashioned from bedsheets tied around his neck. It was ruled a suicide, but anyone with half a brain knew that wasn't true.

Looking over to check the time, Will realizes he's been on the phone with Fletch for almost an hour.

"Happy to hear that, Fletch, nice work. But listen, I should go. I want to check in with Bea before I head home. I hope she's awake, bet she could use some good news about now. Keep me updated."

**(Bea)**

Blonde hair.

"I'm Allie."

Blonde hair, white dress.

"I'm Allie."

Blonde hair, bloody nose. She looked hurt.

"I'm Allie, what's your name?"

That's what Bea could piece together from last night, her semi-conscious mind still fuzzy_. _She continues thinking.

_I_ _know I'm in the hospital but why?_

"What's your name, beautiful? Let me buy you a drink."

"Sorry but no, I'm meeting my husband here."

_That's right, Harry. He was too drunk to drive, the bar too far to walk home. He called me to go pick him up. Nothing new there. What else, think, Bea._

"Come on, we're leaving!"

_Okay, I remember, he was upset. Dragged me out back by my hair. He pushed me, I fell hard, my wrist broke when I landed on it. He dragged me across the ground, slammed my head into a dumpster. He started kicking me._

_"_Thought you could flirt with that prick, huh?"

_What else?_

"Hey, leave her alone!"

_Someone yelled, I heard them run over._

"I'm making it my business, now hands off her."

_A woman's voice, what happened? Right, he pushed her away, kicked me a few more times._

Blonde hair, her right eye looked terrible.

"I'm Allie, what's your name?"

_Her eye, oh, Harry grabbed her. He punched her, I saw her fall._

Bea opens her eyes and notices someone sitting in a chair next to the bed in her peripheral vision.

"Allie?"

"Mom, what? Who's Allie?"

"She was there, last night. She helped me. But Deb, why are you here? I thought you were with your friends."

"A police officer called me, he left me a message. I came back as soon as I heard. He said you were attacked, by_ him._"

Bea nods, tears starting to well in her eyes.

"Why did you talk me into leaving? I could've stayed a few more days, and we'd be free from him. I should've said no, he wouldn't have hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Deb, please don't think that way, you're not to blame here. I needed you to leave, for your protection. He found the lockbox, threatened to hurt you if I didn't tell him where the key was."

"Where is it?"

"Deb."

Deb raises her voice in a manner Bea has never heard.

"The key, tell me where it is! I'm taking the box to the police, this ends today!"

"No, Deb I have to- have to-"

Bea's heart starts to race, the monitor beeping rapidly. She begins hyperventilating and feels a crushing weight on her chest, like an anxiety attack. She feels like she can't breathe.

Vision blurring, Bea sees her doctor and two nurses file into the room. One of the nurses ushers Deb towards the door.

"Debbie, I'm sorry but you'll need to step out so we can help your Mom."

Debbie walks out to the hall and sits in a chair. Her eyes grow heavy from her lack of sleep, no doubt. She quickly dozes off.

"Bea, can you hear me? Your heart rate is very high and you need to get your breathing under control, your lungs are under some strain."

Bea's breathing seemingly becomes more rapid. "I-I can't, I can't-!"

The doctor motions his hand at a nurse.

"Okay, we're going to give you something to help you calm down, it will sedate you. You just relax, give it time to start working."

**(Debbie)**

A hand on her shoulder wakes Debbie up, one of the nurses from earlier.

"Debbie, we got your mom taken care of, she's sleeping now. Feel free to come back in whenever. Have you eaten anything today? The cafeteria will be closing soon if you wanted to go down."

Food is the last thing on Debbie's mind, but some caffeine sounds nice.

"Thanks."

She heads to the cafeteria, buys a coffee, and finds a seat. She takes a sip, feeling the warm drink spread throughout her stomach. She looks into the cup thinking over Bea's words_. _Harry had threatened to hurt her, would he really do that?

_I'm his daughter, he wouldn't have hurt me, would he?_

Debbie feels like she's being watched and looks around, only seeing the back of a brunette woman with tattoos on both arms. Debbie catches snippets of a conversation.

"Was it love at first sight?"

"It's not like that."

Debbie sits there for a few more minutes when what sounds like her Mom's name is called out.

She doesn't have time to process that thought when suddenly the chair across from her is occupied by a blonde woman with striking blue eyes. One eye, the right swollen, an ugly purple color. Deb scans her face, it looks like this woman just stepped out of a boxing match.

"Sorry to bother you, but are you Debbie? Your Mom is Bea, right?"

"How do you know our names, have we met?"

"No, but I know Bea. I was there last night, when- they told you what happened, right?"

"My bastard of a father got his hands on her... um, what happened to your face?"

"Oh, this? Well, I got into it with your-"

"Wait, you're Allie."

"I am, how'd you know that?"

"She said you helped her, she said you fought him off. You saved her life. Thank you so much, you have no idea what that means to me."

Debbie is sincere, she could've lost her Mom last night.

"You said Harry did this to you? I'm sorry, I didn't know he'd hurt anybody else."

Allie nods the affirmative. "Yeah, he sure can throw a punch. But it's all right, I'll be okay. I'm just glad your Mom is safe, and that you're here with her. How is she doing, by the way?"

Debbie is a smart girl, she sees it in Allie's eyes, actual concern for Bea. A look never shared by Harry. The only thing she saw on his face was anger towards Bea, rarely anything else.

Debbie stands up, grabbing Allie's hand.

"They said she's asleep but I was about to go back. Follow me, I bet she'd like to see you."

Allie tries to protest.

"Wait, are you sure it's okay? I'm not family, they said I couldn't see her."

"I'm sure they can make an exception, let's go."

Allie turned to Franky, shrugs, and mouths the words "Sorry".

Franky waves her off, mouthing "Go see your princess".

All she gets is a middle finger in reply.

* * *

Bea finally wakes up, feeling much more relaxed and calm than an hour ago. She's still trying to remember more about last night, mostly Allie, but no luck.

She moves on, going through the list of injuries in her head.

**Four broken ribs, one puncturing and collapsing a lung**

**Internal bleeding, light trauma to a few internal organs**

**Fractured cheekbone, and jaw, no surgery required. Fractured wrist, not too serious, a shiny new cast calling her wrist home**

**Broken nose, two black eyes**

**Cuts and scrapes, various bruises, some pre-existing, courtesy of Harry**

**Broken heart, Debbie having to see her like this**

_Deb's right, a few more days, we'd have been free for good. Nothing but time for vacations with friends after he was gone. But she deserved a weekend away, this is my mess, it's not on her to protect me._

_He could've killed you, all these years would have been for nothing. All the beatings, all the times provoking Harry to hit you for the sake of evidence. Completely unhealthy by the way, what kind of person does that to themselves?_

Bea also feels immense guilt at the fact of Harry turning his violence onto another person, Allie. She saw him hit her a few times. He'd threatened Debbie, never following through, but an innocent woman? That was surprisingly out of character for Harry. He'd only had aggression for Bea, but if he's willing to hurt a stranger, that means he's unpredictable and even more dangerous.

No time to dwell on that now, the only direction is forward. Time to get rid of Harry for good, hopefully, he won't do anything drastic to find the lockbox key.

_Need to call Maxine, ask for a favor._

Bea is snapped out of her mind when somebody enters the room.

"Bea? I'm officer Will Jackson, I was hoping to ask you some questions about last night if you're feeling up to it. Also, have you made contact with Debbie? We haven't gotten ahold of her yet."

"I can do that, I remember most of last night. And Debbie's here somewhere, I think the cafeteria. But before we start, there was a woman there last night, she helped me, do you know where she is? I think she may be hurt."

"I'll need to talk with Debbie as well if that's okay. That woman would be Allie Novak, her injuries were minor. I got her statement last night. I think she's still admitted here."

"Is it possible for me to see her? She did save my life after all."

"Sure, I can have her come by when we're done."

"Thanks."

"So, tell me what you remember. In as much detail as possible."

Bea recounts her side of last night's events, her face not showing the emotions she feels inside.

"Thank you, Bea. Allie told me pretty much the same thing. I know this was probably difficult for you."

Bea has only known Will about fifteen minutes, but she can tell he has a warm heart.

His phone rings yet again.

"Sorry, I have to answer this, my wife. I'll go track down Allie too, be right back."

Speaking of Allie.

_Why do I feel so nervous to see her?_


	3. III

"Allie, are you okay? You're limping."

Debbie notices her lagging behind.

"Yeah, I sprained my ankle last night. I'll be fine, it doesn't hurt that bad," Allie lies. Her ankle is throbbing like no other.

She shouldn't really be walking around, it's a pretty bad sprain. Her doctor said to use crutches and keep the weight off of it, but Allie is stubborn. Painfully so.

"Are you sure? You don't need crutches or something? We can sit down for a minute, your ankle looks pretty swollen."

_Damn, she's too observant_.

Allie sighs, she doesn't like admitting the need for help.

"I'm actually not supposed to be walking on it. If you don't mind, could you grab the crutches from my room? 316."

"Of course I don't mind, I'll be back in a few."

Debbie smiles and sets off.

_She's so kind. She probably didn't learn it from her dad._

Debbie makes it to Allie's room, stopping just outside the door after hearing someone talking on the phone. She peeks in, it's that woman with tattooed arms, Franky.

Allie mentioned she's her best friend.

"It's obvious Allie is worried about her, she told me it was like a bond or something, hard to explain. She feels like she needs to help, she's going to get involved somehow.

I think it has something to do with Maria and that whole situation. She didn't say much about that though, cut me off when I brought it up.

I don't think you need to worry, Kaz. That big heart of hers can cause trouble, you and I know she can get too involved with people. But honestly, I think Allie just wants to be there for Red and her daughter right now. You know her though, she'll do anything, I mean, she went as far as to take a beating just to help."

Franky finishes her call and Debbie is debating what to do. Should she come back, or just walk in?

"Debbie, right? You coming in, or are you just gonna stand out there? I don't bite, I promise."

No point trying to hide.

She steps into the room, wondering how Franky knew she was there. Franky seems to read her mind and nods towards the mirror that's on the wall in the hallway, just outside the room.

"Sorry, I just came for Allie's crutches, then I saw you talking and I didn't want to interrupt."

"No sweat. Did you take Allie to see your Momma yet?"

"We were on the way, but her ankle started hurting. So here I am."

"Right, well they're by the bathroom. Let Allie know I'll see her later. I hope your Mom gets better soon, kiddo."

Franky heads for the door.

"Wait, Franky? I heard what you said on the phone, about Allie. You said she wants to be there for me and my Mom, wants to help. I think I can see that she does. But who's Maria? You said something about a situation, what does that mean?"

"It's not really my place to say, she'll tell you more if she wants, but a woman that Allie used to love years ago."

_Used to?_ Deb thinks.

"She's gay?"

"Yeah, I am too. Is that a problem? Not down with the lezzos?"

"No, not a problem at all. But since she is… does that mean she's going to think about my Mom like that? Romantically, I mean. They don't even know each other and Mom's straight."

"You think she's going to try something with her? You know, us gays don't just go around jumping the first women we see, we do have some self-control."

"Sorry."

Franky waves her off. "Nah, don't be. You've got nothing to worry about, she wouldn't cross boundaries like that. She's just got a big heart and tries to help everybody, even people she doesn't know very well. You'll soon find that out, she's a great person and I couldn't ask for a better friend."

**(Allie)**

Debbie has been gone for a while longer than she expected, and Allie starts getting a little worried.

_Did something happen with Bea? Maybe I should try and find out._

Before she decides to get up, Debbie walks around the corner, crutches in hand.

"Sorry I took so long. Your friend Franky was in your room, we were talking."

"Oh yeah? What'd she have to say?"

"We talked about you, actually. And my Mom. You care about her, I can tell. Franky said you're a good friend, which is what Mom could probably use right now. I'd like to get to know you better too," she finishes with a warm smile.

"She also said you have a big heart and want to help somehow. How can you help though?"

"What happened last night, was that the first time your Dad hurt her?"

"No. I know he's done this before," Deb admits somberly.

It makes Allie sad to see.

"I help volunteer at a shelter with a good friend of mine. It's a safe place for women and kids in this situation. I just want her and you to know that there's a place you can go."

"If we need to get away from him."

"That's right, that's the kind of help I mean."

Debbie sits down in the chair next to Allie, her face taking on a more serious look.

"Can I talk to you about something? I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I'm curious."

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I want to know, how do you feel about my Mom? Franky mentioned that you like women, and I don't have a problem with that, Mom wouldn't either. But is this going to make your feelings more than platonic? She said you told her it's like a bond you feel."

"No, it's not like that. I hope you don't think I'm going to try anything. We don't know each other and that would be wrong of me, and I'm sure she's not into women.

You're right about one thing though, I do care for her even though we haven't met. I care about pretty much everybody, you included. Must be that big heart of mine, there's room for everyone.

The bond thing, maybe that's not the right word to use but I don't know how else to describe it. Some stuff's happened in my life, that I think makes me feel this way. I just want to help, I want to be there for you, for Bea. I think you guys could use some support right now."

There's something else Debbie wants to say, Allie can see her hesitating.

"Something else, Deb? Can I call you that? Don't be afraid to ask me."

"Franky didn't go into detail, she said it wasn't her place. She told me about someone you loved, Maria. Is that what you mean by something happening in your life?"

Maria was a woman Allie became close friends with when she lived in the women's shelter a few years ago. They started a romantic relationship that lasted a few months before Maria broke it off and went back to her abusive husband.

Just weeks later, Allie received news from a police officer who called her. He let her know that in a drunken fit of rage, Maria's husband killed her and took his own life as well. Allie was devastated, and fell back into her drug addiction for almost a year, getting sober for good just over two years ago. She rarely talks about what happened but still thinks about Maria to this day.

Allie hates talking about it, even to Franky, her best friend. Or Kaz, who is more like a mother to Allie than her own biological one. But there's something about Debbie, it puts her at ease. Allie feels she can open up to this girl. Strange, considering they've known each other for little less than an hour.

Allie runs a hand through her hair and lets out a deep sigh.

"Yeah, that's what I meant by stuff happening in my life. Now I don't like talking about this that much, but I feel like I can trust you.

One night she came to the shelter when I was living and working there. Her husband had beaten her, I helped get her settled in and cleaned up.

We got to talking and stayed up all night, she was easy to get along with. She told me her husband was hurting her for a while until she had enough and came for help. So anyway, we became close friends, a month later we were together. I really loved her.

She stayed there for about three more months, then she broke up with me and decided to leave. I thought she had moved on but still loved her husband, I guess. I begged her to stay and not go back to him, but she said no."

Allie is barely aware of her tears rolling down her cheeks and falling to the floor. Debbie puts a hand on her shoulder, passing a tissue box from the table behind her.

"Thanks. About three weeks later, I got a phone call from the police. She listed me as next of kin, it's like she knew something would happen, I didn't know that. They told me what happened, her husband Tom came home drunk one night.

He and Maria argued, he went out to their garage. He came back inside with a gun, shot her, then turned it on himself. She was alive long enough to call for help, she died after getting to the hospital and telling the police what happened to her.

I went through a rough patch after that. I think what happened to her might be why when I saw Harry with your mom last night, I jumped in without a second thought. It might be why I feel a bond, why I feel like I want to protect her. I fought as hard as I could, but he still hurt Bea, and that hurts me."

Allie's tears begin to fall more heavily. Now she looks like the one who could use a hug. Debbie does just that, trying, yet failing to hold back some tears of her own. She can't imagine how awful it would be to have a person she loves taken away like that.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you tell me. You didn't have to. But I'm glad you trust me enough."

Allie breaks the hug, drying her tears with a tissue.

"No apologies needed, Deb. It felt good to get that off of my chest. I've held that in for so long, you have no idea the relief I feel right about now. Can you do me a favor and not tell Bea about this yet? I know I just told you, but I don't want to hit her with all my past drama yet."

"My lips are sealed, are you ready to go see her now? I think we've kept her waiting long enough."

* * *

Bea is contemplating calling Maxine about that favor when Deb returns.

"Hey Mom, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Hey, I was just wondering when you'd be back. I feel better now."

"Good. Um, about earlier. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Don't worry about it."

"What did that officer want? I saw him walk out."

"That was officer Jackson, he asked me some questions about last night. He wants to talk to you when he gets back."

"Oh, all right. Are you in the mood for a visitor?"

"Sure, who is it?"

Debbie walks over to the door.

"You coming in or what?"

"Yeah, coming. Hi, Bea."

"Allie, hey."

Their visit is somewhat awkward at first. Allie isn't quite sure how to strike up a conversation. Bea profusely apologizes for Allie being hurt, while simultaneously thanking her for saving her life, much like Debbie did.

Allie is her typically humble self, downplaying her injuries, reassuring Bea that no thanks are necessary.

"Just glad you're okay."

Allie doesn't show how worried she really was.

That awkwardness is short-lived. They warm up to each other in no time. They seem to get along well, it's almost as is they've been friends for years.

"So... been in any fights lately?" Bea jokes, keeping the mood light, the topic of how they came to this moment is avoided.

They don't talk about the events that took place last night.

During their visit, Allie can't help but find herself stealing glances at Bea, she had told Allie her list of injuries. She notices Bea wince with nearly every breath, from her broken ribs and injured lung.

Or the pained look when she laughs, or smiles at Debbie, from her jaw and cheek fractures. Seeing all of that makes Allie's heart hurt.

_How could someone do this to her?_

There's another reason for her glances, however. Because despite the black eyes, bandages, stitches, and being laid up in a hospital bed, Allie realizes that Bea is more good-looking than she originally thought. Now that she sees her in the daytime, she finds Bea incredibly beautiful.

_It's almost intimidating. Get it together Novak, she's going to notice you ogling._

She does notice Allie looking her way every so often.

_Why does Allie keep staring at me, do I look that terrible?_

"Something I was wondering, Deb, how did you find Allie?"

Deb shakes her head. "I didn't, she came to me. Allie, how did you know who I was?"

Allie shrugs. "Honestly, it was just dumb luck. I saw you in the cafeteria and thought you looked familiar, it was driving me crazy trying to figure out if we've met somewhere. I told Franky and we noticed you look a lot like your Mom. I came over on a gut feeling, really."

"See, Deb, I told you I'm what you have to look forward to when you're my age. Do what you will with that info."

Deb bursts out laughing, followed by Allie, Bea's deadpan reply is just too much.

_She's hilarious, she and Franky would get along well. Already wanting to introduce your friends to her?_

Their laughter is interrupted when Will walks back in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Allie wasn't in her room, might have to ask for her later... oh, never mind. Hi Allie, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"Glad to hear it."

Will turns his attention to Debbie, extending a hand to shake. "You must be Debbie, I'm officer Jackson but you can call me Will."

Deb returns the gesture. "Nice to meet you. My Mom said you wanted to talk to me, what about?"

Will's face changes from the friendly a few seconds ago to serious "Cop Face" as his wife would say.

"Right, I wanted to talk with both you and Bea. I have some news about Harry. I got a call from my department, a detective will be in to talk with you two as well, sometime in the morning. Before we start, Allie, can you come out to the hall with me? I need to talk to you about your case."

"Sure thing."

Allie moves to stand up, slowed by her sore ankle.

"Wait," Bea says, "are you talking to her about Harry? Can't you tell her in here?"

"Allie, that's up to you, if you want to talk in here, we can."

At that point, Allie is up and motions her head towards the door.

"I'd rather go out."

She hadn't had a chance to tell Bea about filing charges against Harry and didn't know how she would react. Allie had seen some women defend their abusers. Debbie gives Bea a quizzical look, only getting a shrug in response.


	4. IV

Once they're in the hall, Will shuts the door to Bea's room for privacy. He opens his mouth to speak, Allie beats him to it.

"I know what you're gonna ask, and no, I didn't sneak in to see her. Deb brought me up, ok'd me with the doctor. I'm a friend of the family," she says with a wink. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Harry Smith was arrested a couple of hours ago."

"He was? Good. What happens next?"

"He'll be charged with your assault, the courts should notify you of a trial date in the next few days. You have the option to attend and give testimony, it could help your case.

Let the court know and they'll arrange it. You can also push for restitution, meaning he'll have to pay for expenses, like hospital or doctor visits, any time you miss from work, stuff like that."

"I don't want that bastard's money. Do you think I should testify? Would it help Bea's case at all? That's all I want."

"I can't tell you to go but if you do, what you say at your trial will carry over, which should be of help."

Will opens Bea's door, stopping just inside.

"Just keep that in mind. Can you wait out here while I talk to Bea and Debbie? You can come back when we're done."

From her bed, Bea calls out.

"If it's all right, can she come back in while we talk? I don't mind and I think news about Harry concerns her too, don't you?"

Technically yes, updates about Harry concern Allie, but with what he's about to say he doesn't think Allie would want to hear it. But it's Bea's choice after all.

"If you're sure. I'll be going over things of a personal nature."

_They must've arrested him_

"It's fine. Allie, would you mind coming back in?"

Allie nearly jumps at the chance, curious about what Will is going to say. She plays it cool though.

"I don't mind."

She retakes her original seat, which happens to be the one closest to Bea.

Will gets to the matter at hand.

"Harry was arrested about two hours ago at your home."

"What are his charges?"

"Due to your injuries, attempted murder, also evading arrest, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, attempted assault on a police officer. There will be some more to come."

"Such as?"

"Breaking and entering, for one."

"What else? It wasn't the salon he broke into was it?"

"I'm afraid so. I think you know where I'm going next."

Bea nods, she knows exactly where this is going.

"He found the key and the camera, didn't he?"

Will doesn't answer, he doesn't need to.

She doesn't realize it, Bea subconsciously reaches over and takes Allie's hand. She squeezes it softly.

Allie does though, her heart speeds up and her mind begins racing. Her brain has no idea how to process the feeling of Bea's fingers intertwined with her own.

_What the hell? One touch and you're falling apart?_

Debbie notices too.

_Mom must really trust her._

Physical contact is something Bea rarely ever initiates.

_Even with me._

"In his possession was your camera from the salon, a journal from the lockbox, and the second camera."

By the look in his eyes, Bea can tell Will knows what was on that second camera.

"It's all being used as evidence, a case will be started against him. Those other charges he's looking at are spousal abuse. Physical, emotional, and sexual."

_Sexual abuse?_

Allie makes eye contact with Bea, her gaze asking a silent question. Bea returns a look of her own, confirming what Allie doesn't ask out loud.

Allie feels sick, she knows Harry is abusive, just not like that.

_He raped her. How could someone be so sick and twisted to such a kind person?_

She can feel the tears about to start up. She doesn't want Bea to see her like this.

Allie releases Bea's hand and stands up.

"Sorry, excuse me."

She makes her way out the open door, leaving her crutches behind, pain in her ankle be damned.

"Allie?"

Bea calls after her, but Allie is gone. Bea's feelings are a little bit hurt.

_She must think I'm disgusting, letting him do those things to me._

Bea usually isn't one to care about what other people think of her, Harry lead her to believe no one ever gives her a second thought. But something about Allie is different. She wants Allie to think highly of her, to not see her as a broken, abused housewife, too weak and afraid to leave her sorry excuse of a husband.

Debbie stands and follows suit, picking up the crutches along the way.

"I'll go find her."

Will ignores the interruption.

_Maybe I shouldn't have given Bea the choice for Allie to stay._

"And with your testimony, Debbie's too, along with mine and a couple of other officers, he'll be put away for a long time. That detective I told you about, he's going to get several reports from you. They'll match those with the evidence found today. This case will be solid, and once there's news of a trial, you'll be the first to know.

I'm sorry to run out on you like this, but I was supposed to be home half an hour ago. Here, I charged your phone back at the station."

He sets it on the bedside table.

"I'm leaving one of my cards with you, if you have questions or need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Will places a firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Take care of yourself, Bea."

Bea takes in all this information, her brain trying to keep up. Allie running out, Harry doing something drastic like she feared. She's barely able to let out a quiet "thank you" to Will as he leaves.

* * *

_Where on Earth could she be? Surely she couldn't have gotten that far without crutches._

Debbie had been looking for around ten minutes, stopping by the cafeteria and Allie's room, finding no sign of her. Deb is now looking for her in the hospital lobby.

She walks back towards the elevators, about to give up the search when a blonde ponytail catches the corner of her eye. Allie is outside the hospital entrance, sitting on a bench, a lit cigarette in her mouth.

"You smoke?"

"Usually only when I'm drunk. I felt like I needed one now though. It's a nasty habit, Deb. Do yourself a favor and don't pick it up."

She takes one final drag and puts it out. Deb takes a seat next to her on the bench, handing Allie her crutches.

"Why'd you leave like that?"

"Sorry I ran out, that was just a lot for me to hear. I know Harry has abused her, I didn't think it was more than just physically.

I didn't realize how bad it was and I didn't want Bea to see me upset."

It's obvious Allie had been crying. She feels she's shed enough tears for one day.

"If it makes you feel better, I only found out how bad things were a few months ago."

"How did you find out?"

"Over the summer, I went to my stay at uncle's house, Harry's brother. I was only supposed to be there for a week, but it turned into a month.

Every time I called home, no one answered or it was Harry, too drunk to hold a conversation. My uncle couldn't get ahold of him either.

The one time I was able to talk to him, he told me I needed to stay gone for a while longer, he wouldn't say why. When I finally got back, Mom was all bruised up and had a cast on her ankle.

I confronted her and made her tell me the truth. I had my suspicions over the years but never saw anything. She showed me the journal and camera. She used the camera to take pictures of the beatings he gave her. I didn't know she had a second one.

Everything started when I was young, around four. He hit her for the first time not long reading through her journal I remembered something from my childhood. It was my birthday party one day, my sixth. I saw them talking but thought nothing of it.

Turns out he got fired from his job that morning. They went to their room that night but she didn't come back out, he told me she went to bed early. I remember thinking she didn't look that tired.

Now that I read it I know what happened, it was the first time he forced himself on her. So for the last few months, I haven't left her alone with him. I stopped seeing my friends outside of school, I started staying home all the time. I was able to convince her to go to the police, she said we would on Monday. But this weekend, she got me to go on a trip with my friends. I wish I refused to go."

Allie hugs her. "Deb, I'm so sorry, I can't imagine how hard things have been for you."

"It's okay, none of it matters now. We can finally be rid of him. Mom's been waiting for this day for years, and it's finally come, she can finally have the life she deserves.

Just her and I, and hopefully you. From what I saw, you two are pretty much friends already, you get along well. I saw her hold your hand too, she rarely touches me like that, I can tell she trusts you."

"You saw that? I was honestly surprised, do you think she realized? I should probably go talk to her and apologize. Could you give me a few minutes with her before you come back?"

"I need to make a phone call anyway. Before you go, take this."

A stick of gum.

"No offense, but your breath smells like a campfire."

"Gee, thanks, Deb."

**(Allie)**

To Allie's disappointment, Bea is asleep when she gets back to her room. She understands Bea is probably exhausted though, and she needs to rest.

Debbie comes by Allie's room after checking on Bea, wanting to let her sleep. She has both of her hands full of snacks from the vending machine.

"Mind if I hang out in here for a bit? I brought snacks."

"If you've got chocolate come on in, but hands off the remote. I need to find out the number one deadliest animal in the world, and we're only on number seventeen."

Debbie makes herself comfortable on the couch in the room and throws a chocolate bar to Allie.

"It's the mosquito, by the way."

After that comment, the duo falls into silence, Deb starts playing a game on her phone. Allie soon turns off the TV, the bright light giving her a headache. Eventually, Allie can't take the quiet anymore, long periods of silence are not her favorite.

"Deb, quick, name an animal and I'll tell you a fun fact about it, now go."

Deb raises an eyebrow, what a random thing to say. She plays along.

"Seahorse."

"Okay, fun fact. When they sleep, seahorses link tails with one another so they don't drift apart."

"That's... actually kind of sweet. How did you know that?"

"I read it in a magazine one time, it stuck with me for some reason. Your turn."

"Allie, name an animal."

"I'm thinking mosquito. Since you spoiled the show for me."

"Fine, fun fact about mosquitoes. They're the deadliest animal in the world because of how far and wide they can spread illnesses and disease."

"How do you know?"

"School project, I got an A on it."

The conversation turns to Debbie's schooling, plans for college, etc.

_She's got her life plan figured out, can't say the same for myself when I was her age._

At seventeen, Allie had dropped out of school and was living on the streets after being kicked out by her parents.

They talk about each other's hobbies, interests, finding they have a few in common.

Allie tells about her favorite memories formed with Franky over the years, keeping it as kid-friendly as possible. It's harder than she expects. Debbie shows pictures of her friends and tells stories about Bea. Some embarrassing, but mostly endearing. Allie can tell she's a fantastic mother.

_How different would my life be if I had a relationship with my parents like these two do?_

Her mother was kind, but Allie never quite felt a strong bond with her. Allie had more of a relationship with her father, had a stronger love towards him. Until he threw all of that love out the window by disowning her.

Debbie did have a happy childhood, all things considered.

After talking well after midnight, they exchange phone numbers.

"Question, Allie."

"Hm?"

"What if I named a different animal, not a seahorse? You don't really know any other animal facts, do you?"

"Um... no, I don't. If you said anything else, I would have just made something up."

Debbie falls asleep on the couch after asking that last question. Allie also goes to sleep shortly after, feeling happy that she had the chance to meet two wonderful people. She just hopes she can talk to Bea again.

The next morning, Allie meets with her doctor. After promising to use the crutches and scheduling a follow up in a week, she signs her discharge papers and is currently waiting for Franky to pick her up.

She sends a text to Debbie while waiting.

_**Morning, is your Mom up? Can I drop by before I leave?**_

_**Deb: Sorry, she's not up for a visit right now.**_

Is the response she gets. That kind of hurt, Allie decides maybe it's best she should give Bea some space.

"Knock knock."

"Hey, Franks."

"You ready to go? Gidge is waiting back at the house, she's making breakfast for us."

"I'm ready, let's get out of here."

On the drive home, Franky notices Allie is acting differently. She's looking out the window almost contemplatively, talking less than usual.

Not one to beat around the bush, she gets straight to the point in true Franky Doyle fashion, bluntly.

"The fuck is your problem over there, Allie? What's with all the doom and gloom, things not go well with Red yesterday?"

"It's not that, we got along pretty well, Debbie and I too. But I learned some stuff her husband has put her through for a long time, and it was too much for me, I all but ran out of the room."

"Yikes, that bad?"

"Yeah. So I went back to apologize for storming out and she was asleep. I was hoping to talk to her before I left this morning, but she didn't want to see me. Do you think she's upset with me?"

"It sounds to me that she didn't want to see you because you hurt her feelings. Maybe leaving the way you did might make her feel like you think less of her.

Or that she's weak for putting up with whatever she did, that she's some poor woman you feel pity for. Something to think about."

Franky's insight cuts straight to Allie's heart. She hadn't thought about it like that, she was so focused on Bea not seeing her cry she didn't take Bea's feelings into consideration. Hurting Bea makes her feel terrible, it's the last thing she wanted to happen.

After getting home, Allie gives Bridget a quick greeting then goes right to her room, shutting the door and thinking about what she could've done differently yesterday.

_I fucked up._


	5. V

Three days later, it's back to life as usual for Allie, volunteering at the women's shelter during the day, bartending at night.

Her face is looking better, the bruises and the swelling of her broken nose starting to fade some. Her right eye is her worst feature by far, it's no longer swollen completely shut but still quite the ugly sight.

Her ankle is feeling much better too though she still uses the crutches. It causes her a good amount of pain to put her full weight on it. Allie has never had a broken pinky, she hates it. She didn't realize just how much she uses the finger until now.

Her beaten appearance caused some questions to be sent her way, from her co-workers at the bar and from the women at the shelter, which she expected.

"I got my career in boxing started."

She jokes about it at first. She doesn't give names but tells the story of what happened over the weekend to anyone who asks. She receives high praise for stepping in to help how she did. For putting herself in harm's way to protect a stranger.

While she may have protected Bea and likely saved her life, Allie finds herself thinking it doesn't matter much, since she managed to hurt Bea anyway. Is it somewhat unreasonable to think that way? Most definitely. Does it keep her from doing it? No.

A letter came in the mail today, a trial date for Harry's assault on her has been set, three weeks from now, Allie decides to attend and testify.

She keeps herself busy with work, taking time to text back and forth with Debbie. It seems they're growing closer with every conversation. Allie enjoys talking to her, Deb is a great kid.

Deb is out of school for the week due to an upcoming holiday. Her friend's parents graciously offered to let her stay with them while Bea recovers in the hospital.

That brings Allie's thoughts to Bea. She has yet to hear from her. Deb did say she's been recovering well, which makes Allie happy to hear. Allie avoids the question of why Bea hasn't talked to her and she's beginning to think she won't reach out.

A thought that saddens her some, she can admit. It weighs heavily on her mind.

They got along so well that day, and now that she thinks about it, Allie believes she and Bea were on track to becoming good friends.

After getting home from another busy night of serving drinks to the college crowds, Allie lies in bed and checks her phone for the first time in a couple of hours.

There's one text, from an unknown number. She reads the message.

**_Hi, it's Bea. Can we talk? I don't like how things were left the last time we saw each other._**

A smile finds its way onto her face, just the person she's been hoping to hear from. Allie reads it twice and saves the number before replying, hoping Bea is still awake.

_Hi, sorry I got back to you so late. I promise I wasn't ignoring you, I'm just seeing this. Of course we can talk. I feel bad about how things were left,_ _and I'm glad you reached out. Do you want to talk now? Maybe I can call you? Or text, whatever works for you._

The next five minutes feel like they drag on. Allie thinks maybe she was too late to respond, Bea did send that message over two hours ago.

Her phone eventually sounds six minutes later, not that Allie was counting. She's never picked it up faster in her life.

**Bea: _No worries, I'm just happy you replied. I'd rather do it in person. _****_Can you come by tomorrow?_**

_Sure, I'll "Bea" there in the morning._

**Bea: _That was a lame joke._**

_It was, but it made you laugh, didn't it?_

**Bea: _No._**

**Bea: _Maybe a little._**

_Knew it, you like my lame jokes _:)_ See you tomorrow._

**Bea:_ See you tomorrow. Good_ _night, Allie._**

_Night, Bea._

Allie thinks about what she wants to say to Bea tomorrow then goes to sleep, a little nervous, yet excited for morning to come.

* * *

Bea felt bad for pretending to be asleep when Allie returned to her room that night but she wasn't quite ready to face her.

The following morning, Debbie mentioned she was up most of the night talking to Allie, safe to say they were becoming quick friends.

It made Bea so glad to see Deb was back to her old happy self. She knows how hard the last few months have been on her. Deb asked if Allie could stop by to see her before she left the hospital, but Bea wasn't ready for that.

Detective Carlson came about ten that morning, just as Will said he would. He was a tall, intimidating looking man, but surprisingly soft-spoken and kind.

His demeanor made it easy for Bea to feel comfortable with going over every detail of the abuse. Before they began, he warned Bea that he'd be asking difficult questions, and she'd need to go into explicit detail with her answers.

He offered Debbie the choice to leave once things got to that point, she politely refused. He talked with Bea for nearly three hours, matching the evidence found with Harry to her statements and Debbie's statements, along with his reports.

Reliving everything she experienced was difficult, as Carlson warned. It put tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat, she made it through without truly breaking down. Debbie was by Bea's side every step of the way offering her support, which helped tremendously.

Their interview went well, Detective Carlson got started on helping build the case. He seemed confident and promised to check in with any new developments.

The same day, after meeting with the detective, Bea got in touch with a lawyer and began the process of divorcing Harry. Due to the circumstances, she filed for an expedited separation. With Harry being arrested and likely going to prison for a long time, it's a guarantee Bea will be granted sole custody of Debbie.

She also brought up a proposal to negotiate the sale of the house, offering half the sum if Harry agreed to take his name off of the deed.

The next couple of days went by in a blur, Bea's recovery was progressing well. The bruising and swelling on her face lessened slightly and she could now walk unassisted, though she was still somewhat unsteady on her feet.

Her broken ribs, wrist, and damaged lung would take longer to heal, along with her jaw and cheekbone fractures. But with things moving along so smoothly, she could be released as early as next week.

That brings Bea to now. She figures maybe it's a good time to clear the air with Allie, she doesn't like how things were left between them. She feels bad for exposing Allie to the things Harry's done to her, she thinks something like that isn't what Allie wanted to hear the first time they met.

She also feels that she and Allie were well on their way to the start of a friendship.

There's no denying they clicked right off the bat, once the awkwardness of meeting for the first time wore off. Bea liked how natural it felt to be around her, even with the short amount of time they spent together.

Deb wasn't a fan of the situation either, she's been pestering Bea every day for the last few days, wondering when she's planning on speaking to Allie again.

It takes twenty minutes for Bea to decide on what to write, settling with,

_Hi, it's Bea. Can we talk? I don't like how things were left the last time we saw each other._

It takes another ten minutes for her to work up the nerve to send it. Bea considers deleting it and just never talking to Allie again, only for a moment. She knows she'd regret doing that.

She hits send and keeps her phone close, watching and waiting for Allie to reply. An hour turns into two with no response.

She's starting to worry Allie is put off from that day. Her phone finally dings just before she falls asleep, Bea picks it up with a quickness.

**Allie: **_**Hi, sorry I got back to you so late. I promise I wasn't ignoring you, I'm just seeing this. Of course we can talk. I feel bad about how things were left, and I'm glad you reached out. Do you want to talk now? Maybe I can call you? Or text, whatever works for you.**_

She gives it a few minutes before sending her response. She doesn't want to seem like she was desperate to hear from her. Besides, Allie kept her anxiously waiting for two hours, what's five minutes compared to that?

_No worries, I'm just happy you replied. I'd rather do it in person. Can you come by tomorrow?_

**Allie:**_** Sure, I'll "Bea" there in the morning.**_

Bea lets out a quiet laugh, Allie's reply was certainly lame but still funny.

_That was a lame joke._

**Allie: _It was, but it made you laugh, didn't it?_**

_No._

_Maybe a little._

**Allie: _Knew it, you like my lame jokes _:) _See you tomorrow._**

_See you tomorrow. Good night, Allie._

**Allie: _Night, Bea._**

Bea sends one last message before going to bed, to Debbie.

_I'm seeing Allie tomorrow, are you done bothering me about it now? Love you._

**Deb: **_**To the moon and back. And yes, I'm done.**_

* * *

"Someone's full of piss and vinegar this morning, what's got you so perky?"

Franky greets from the kitchen table as Allie makes her way downstairs with seemingly more energy than she has over the last few days.

Allie makes her way over to the kitchen counter and pours herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm going to see Bea. She texted me last night and she wants to talk. I thought about what you said, you're right, I probably should've thought before running out on her. I hope she's not too upset with me."

"If Red's wanting to talk, she can't be that mad at you. You just make sure she knows that you don't think of her how she might feel."

"I plan on it. What's all this?"

Allie motions to the open laptop and papers that are strewn about in front of Franky on the table.

"I'm making a change. I've been having off the record psych talks with Gidge, and I've realized the paramedic thing just isn't for me. I'm applying to Culinary School, cooking is something I enjoy and if I can make a career out of it, why not?"

"That's awesome, Franky. 'Chef Doyle' has a certain ring to it. How about we celebrate with dinner tonight? Pick a place, anywhere you want to go."

"Can't tonight, going to a concert with Gidge and some people from work. You should come with."

"I would, but I have to help close the bar tonight, Sara asked me to cover her shift."

Allie eats a quick breakfast and takes a shower, then heads for the hospital.

**(Bea)**

Something Bea does to pass the time and deal with the monotony of the hospital is draw in her sketchbook. It's a hobby that she enjoys. After the break-in at the salon, her old book was ruined. Some of Bea's favorite drawings were in that book, so hearing that was a bit disappointing.

Maxine came to visit the day before yesterday, bringing Bea a new sketchbook plus brand-new pencils. She also brought a get well soon card, along with some flowers and balloons from the other girls at the salon, Annie and Liz.

Maxine has gone above and beyond, taking over Bea's clients, saving any tips left for her. She insists that Bea shouldn't rush back to work any time soon.

"Take as much time as you need, work isn't going anywhere."

Bea would have to find a way to repay her for her kindness. She offered to pay for any damages Harry caused to the salon, she was shot down immediately.

"Absolutely not, Bea. Besides, I have insurance. Even if I didn't, I wouldn't take one dime from you."

She's busy working on a sketch of a landscape, trees with mountains in the background when Allie shows up.

Allie stops just inside the door, Bea hasn't noticed her yet. She watches for a moment, noting the concentration on Bea's face. Allie thinks it's cute how her brow is furrowed, how she chews on her bottom lip as she sketches.

Feeling eyes on her, Bea looks up from her book and towards the door.

"Hey, morning. How long were you standing there?"

Allie walks further into the room.

"Not long. Didn't want to interrupt, you looked focused. I didn't know you draw."

"It's a hobby I picked up years ago. I like it, it helps pass the time while I'm laid up in here."

"Mind if I take a look?"

Drawing is something Bea usually holds close to herself. She doesn't show people her drawings, rarely even Deb, ever since the first one she showed Harry. She was proud of it, and the only thing he could do was criticize and call it a waste of time.

Despite that, she hands the book over.

"Knock yourself out. They're not that good, just a heads up."

Allie flips through the first few pages.

"Not that good? These are great, you're talented. Who's this girl, looking up at the Moon?"

"Oh, that's supposed to be Deb. It's a saying we have, I love you to the Moon and back. I even got a tattoo for it, look."

Bea moves her hair to the side and pulls the neck of her hospital gown in a way that Allie can see the ink just above her right shoulder blade.

A small crescent moon with the words "to the Moon and back" and Debbie's birthdate underneath it.

"I like that."

Allie turns to the next page, surprised to see a drawing of two seahorses, their tails linked together. It's very detailed, Bea must have spent a fair amount of time working on it. She turns the book towards Bea.

Bea looks to the floor, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Debbie said you told her that little fact. I drew it for you, you can have it if you want it."

Allie doesn't respond, Bea looks up.

"Is it that bad?"

Allie wipes a few stray tears away, feeling rather sentimental. And a little ridiculous, tearing up over something so small, though she appreciates the kind gesture.

"No, I love it. Nobody has ever given me something so nice. Seriously, thank you. I'll take it."

Allie gives the book back and turns her attention to the bedside table.

"Pretty flowers."

"Yeah, the girls from work sent them over."

"Where do you work?"

"At a salon. I'm a hairdresser."

"Really? Say, when you get out of here, can you do something to this mess for me?"

"I'm sure I can."

Bea takes a moment to observe Allie's hair.

"Do a turn, let me see the back."

Once Allie faces her again, Bea has an idea of what she could do.

"It looks like all you need is a touch-up for the color, I would probably cut an inch off or so. I'll gladly do it for you."

"Great. It's a date then."

"What about you, your work?"

"During the day, I volunteer at the women's shelter with my friend Kaz, well she's more like a mother to me. I bartend at night. You gotta come in when I'm working, I make a killer cocktail."

"I may take you up on that sometime. Now, I'm enjoying the small talk and all, but that's not why you're here."

"No, I guess it's not."

Allie was on-board to have this conversation, now that she's here, she sort of wants to avoid it. But she can't. She takes a seat in the same chair she did three days ago, turning her body towards Bea, giving her full attention.

Bea gets right into it.

"I want to start by saying I'm sorry for subjecting you to all the crap in my life that day. I hope I didn't scare you off, I'm sure that's not what you want to hear about somebody the first time you meet.

I want you to know that I'm not upset with you for leaving, but I will say when you walked out, it hurt, honestly.

I didn't want you to think less of me, that I'm disgusting for letting Harry do those things to me. That I'm weak. If you do though, I guess I can understand that."

"That's not what I think of you, Bea. You're not disgusting, you're far from it. And I don't think that you let him do those awful things to you, whatever he did, that's on him for being a cruel person.

I've been talking to Deb. She told me why, and I know why you put up with everything for so long. I understand you did it for her and for yourself, to get away from him.

I don't think you're weak. I think you're strong for going through what you did. I would never see you as less than that.

I'm sorry for walking out on you, hurting you isn't what I wanted to do. Just hearing those things made me sad to hear, I didn't realize just how bad things were. To tell you the truth, I left because I didn't want you to see me cry. I don't want you to think it was out of pity, anything like that.

I was upset someone could do the things he's done to you. I was also reminded of someone from my past, she was in a similar situation with her husband. I just couldn't stand to hear it."

Allie saying that makes Bea tear up. Allie's words put her mind at ease.

It makes her happy to know that Allie sees her differently than what's been going through her mind. That Allie cares about her enough to actually cry over her.

They sit in comfortable silence for a while until Bea speaks up again, her tears now dry.

"I showed you mine, now show me yours."

"What?"

"You know all about my past, my dirty laundry. I'm the broken, beaten hairdresser and housewife, with a poor taste in men. Tell me more about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. I want to hear it all."

"By everything, you mean my whole life story?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Fair warning, it's not pretty. I've been through some shit."

"Me too, Allie. You have met me, right?"

"Fine. To start, I had a happy childhood. Your typical family of four, just me, my brother, and our parents. My parents were loving, I was closer to my dad.

Up until I turned seventeen, life was going great. A month after my birthday, I came out to my parents and my brother. Not sure what to think about the gay thing? It's okay, I get that reaction sometimes," Allie adds, seeing something of a thoughtful look from Bea.

"No, I was just thinking that explains why you were flirting with my nurse last time you were here."

"Was it that obvious?"

"You weren't the most subtle. I don't think it worked on her."

"It didn't. Not a lot of women can do that."

"Do what?"

"Resist my charm. I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty smooth with the ladies."

"Just not with nurses," Bea teases. "So you told your parents, then what happened?"

"Oh yeah. They didn't take the news well. They were super religious, Dad was high up in the church, and the shame of a gay daughter was too much for them.

So they gave me an ultimatum. They wanted me to go to one of those camps, you know the ones people send kids to so they can pray the gay away? They wanted me to do that so I could be rid of my 'sin'. I could either do that or leave home.

I refused to make a choice so they kicked me out. I started second-guessing myself, I thought about going back, doing what they wanted me to.

But I remembered the look on my Dad's face when I told them, my brother's too. Like I was some kind of monster, and let me tell you, that fucked with my head. It used to keep me up at night.

I knew if I went back home, it'd never be back to normal, I could never love my family the same."

"Have you seen any of them since then?"

"No, but last year, I was feeling curious and looked them up. I found an obituary online, my mom had a stroke, I wasn't named in it. I kind of expected that but it still hurt to read.

I had a hard time tracking down my brother, but I found him. He joined the military after I left. He was living in Spain last I saw, has a wife and kids now. They looked happy.

I sent him a message, just to test the waters, no response. I saw that he read it though so I think he just ignored me. That also hurt, but I've moved on.

And my father? He's in prison. It turns out had a habit of pocketing portions of the church funds over the years. Like, a ridiculous amount of money. Maybe six months later, I got a letter from him.

Somehow he found out where I was living and sent me one. He wanted me to visit and make amends with him. Many years too late. I was so angry that I ripped it up and returned it to sender, I think he got the message. Kaz and my friend Franky are the only people I need to be my family."

"Wow, that's… just, wow."

Bea is nearly speechless, she can't fathom the thought of doing to Deb what was done to Allie. What kind of parent disowns their child like that?

"You think that's bad, there's more. We're just getting started."

Bea's eyes betray her otherwise calm expression.

_T__hat's just the beginning?_ _What else could have happened to you?_

"I tried to stay in school after they kicked me out, but it got too stressful for me so I dropped out. I was living on the streets for a stretch, trying to find a job to make ends meet. Then one night I met a girl, woman, I should say. She was a lot older than me. She offered me food and a place to sleep.

We started a relationship soon after that. I fell in love with her. But what is love to a seventeen-year-old?

Anyway, she eventually got me hooked on drugs, heroin mostly. Then after that, she turned me onto prostitution. I didn't want to at first, but she had me convinced if I truly loved her, I'd do anything she asked of me.

So I did it. And I kept doing it. The money was good, that's all she was using me for though. I couldn't see it back then, the type of person she was. I brought in money for her selling myself, she kept me high.

It went on for about four years, until one night a client got pissed at me for turning his request down, beat the shit out of me, tried to rape me. I fought him off and I stumbled into a shelter, that's how I met Kaz. She helped me get clean, turn my life around.

Since then, she's pulled me out of trouble so many times, I can't remember. I owe her my life. So I lived and worked at the shelter for about a year, that's when I met Maria."

Allie goes on to tell her about Maria, the same story she relayed to Debbie. This time she makes it through without as many tears.

Bea feels awful, she's never lost someone close to her in such a tragic way. She hates to think what that's like.

"After she died, I relapsed for almost another year. That was a real low point in my life. I fell back into my addiction, and I fell hard. I was ashamed so I left the shelter and I lived on the streets again.

I did decide to get clean and kick the crank for good. That was over two years ago. I did it without Kaz's help that time around."

"If I can ask, what made you decide to get sober?"

Allie blinks away the tears forming in her eyes and clears her throat.

"Well, I almost died from an overdose. I ran low on money and was desperate, so I bought some stuff that I never used before. It was dirt cheap but stronger than I thought it would be.

Luckily, the people I was with had the decency to turn me on my side so I didn't choke to death on my vomit. They stole my money, my shoes, and the rest of my stash, but they did me a favor I can't repay.

Gave me second chance at life, one I didn't want to fuck up again. That's what made me decide. I struggled and almost slipped a few times, but thinking about Kaz helped keep me from going back to drugs. Even now she keeps me grounded."

"How so?"

"Mostly just knowing I let her down. And the look on her face when she found me the first time I used again, she was hurt. She worked so hard to get me clean the first time, and I threw it all away. I felt guilty as hell. That feeling of guilt helped in a way, motivated me to stay on the wagon."

"You said even now she helps you. Does that mean you still… no, never mind."

Bea thinks maybe her next question is a little too personal.

"You can ask me. I'll answer any questions you have. You wanted to know everything, I'll tell you."

"I was wondering, does that mean you still think about using?"

Allie nods. "Yeah. I won't lie, I do sometimes. That's the thing with addiction, it's a disease. One that will always be a part of me, but I'm stronger than it now. I know there's nothing I can gain from using again. Dope has nothing to offer me anymore."

"That's good, Allie. What happened after you got clean?"

"I went back to Kaz."

"How did that go?"

"Better than I thought it would. She welcomed me back with open arms. She still loved me, she still cared about me and never judged me for my mistakes. She was actually just worried sick.

The whole time I was gone, she looked for me all over. She called hospitals and police stations, other shelters around the city trying to find me. I was gone long enough for her to assume the worst had happened to me. After finding out all that, I knew I'd never want to hurt her again how I did.

After that, she helped me get my bartending job. I enjoy it, the money isn't as good, but that's fine with me, it's better than what I was doing. She also found a place for me to live. That's how I met Franky. I moved in with her, we became best friends, and life's been good to me ever since. Then a few days ago I met you, and now here we are.

There you have it, my life story. Allie Novak, the reformed junkie and street whore."

Bea is shocked, to say the least, she couldn't have predicted Allie's life was like that if she tried.

"I don't think I know what to say. But please don't call yourself that, I hope you don't see yourself that way. You were taken advantage of, you did what was necessary to survive in the world."

"It's just jokes, I know that's the old me, it's not who I am anymore.

But listen, I've met people who are put off by the things I've done. And now that you know my history, if you're not comfortable being around, or with Deb being around someone like me, I-"

Bea interrupts. "Let me stop you there. What you just told me won't make me think of you any differently. That won't keep me from wanting to be around you.

I still very much would like to get to know you. And when it comes to Deb, knowing her like I do, she feels the same. She likes you a lot, your past wouldn't change that for her."

"I like her too, she's a sweet kid. And thank you for saying that, it means a lot to me."

Allie lets out a content sigh, she's glad Bea doesn't look down on her as many people had before.

"Can we talk about stuff that isn't awful and traumatic now?"

"Deal."

They spend the next several hours just talking, about anything and everything they can think of. Bea tells the story of Deb trying to save a bunch of snails, accidentally killing them instead. Allie gives demonstrations of some of the terrible raps she comes up with, overall a great visit.

Bea tells more about her life as well, at Allie's insistence.

"It's only fair, I told you all about me."

She tells Allie that her parents died when she was very young, just barely old enough to walk. She has no memory of them other than the pictures she was shown and the stories she was told.

She tells that she was raised by her grandparents until she moved out at the age of eighteen. She tells of the first time she met Harry, their first date and how charming he was. She tells that they married young, he proposed soon after finding out Bea was pregnant with Deb.

She tells Allie that a year after the wedding, her grandparents fell ill and passed away within months of each other, leaving Deb to be her only living family.

She tells how Debbie is the best thing that happened to her, how she's the one person Bea loves unconditionally. She stays on the topic of Deb for some time. Bea feels she can talk about her for hours and not run out of things to say.

Allie listens intently, taking in every piece of information.

Bea tells Allie more about herself in just hours than she's told most people in years.

At one point during their visit, Bea receives a phone call from her lawyer. Harry signed the divorce papers and agreed to the terms. Bea is ecstatic and can't wait to tell Deb the good news.

Allie is happy for her as well.

Eventually, Allie needs to get to work. She leaves, making sure to take her drawing. On her way to the bar, Allie decides to stop and buy a small picture frame to hang it with.


	6. VI

Allie is beaming on her drive home from work, thinking about her conversation with Bea earlier. It feels great knowing everything is out in the open, whatever problem they had is squashed, their friendship back on track.

She feels good about opening up to Bea, telling her everything about herself. Only a select few know her full story, and she's glad Bea is one of them.

Before Allie left the hospital, Bea did let it be known she's straight and not looking for anything more than a friendship. Allie wasn't hitting on her or being flirtatious, and why she felt the need to say that, Bea isn't totally sure.

Allie isn't sure either, she had no intention of trying anything towards her in a romantic sense, but she thinks she has an idea of why Bea might have felt the need to say that. Bea's a woman, Allie's into women.

She must assume Allie might try to pursue something more. If Bea showed an interest in Allie or the same sex in general, that'd probably be a safe assumption.

But that's not the case, and Allie agreed that anything between the pair would be nothing but platonic, joking that "redheads aren't my type anyway," causing Bea to laugh until the pain in her ribs made her regret it.

Allie enjoys making her laugh. It's so easy to do too, Bea reacts well to her sense of humor.

_I'm just glad she still wanted to talk to me and be friends, that's a win in my book, _she thinks.

She also promised to try her best to not hurt Bea's feelings again.

"You'll have to try hard, I'm very sensitive."

Bea knows how to make Allie laugh just as much.

As soon as she gets home from her shift at the bar, Allie heads straight to her bedroom to hang up the seahorse drawing. She bought a small frame, ocean-themed of course.

She even went as far as going to a craft store, buying seashells and glue to liven it up a bit more. Once the glue dries she hangs the frame, making sure it's hung as straight as possible.

Thinking back, this is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever given her. It makes Allie happy to know Bea cared enough to draw this for her.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just a sketch. But what makes it so meaningful to Allie is the thought and the sentimental value.

She sits on her bed to admire the new piece of art that adorns the wall across the room from her. The front door opens, signaling Franky's return from the concert. Allie hears a second set of footsteps follow hers.

She recognizes Franky's voice asking someone about a glass of water. The voice that replies sounds familiar, but she can't quite place it.

_That's not Bridget, who could it be?_

Deciding to find out who this mystery guest is, Allie slowly heads downstairs. When she gets to the bottom step, she stops. She wasn't expecting the familiar face she sees sitting on the couch.

A certain teenage girl she's come to know recently. A certain teenage girl who should be at her friend's house, not sitting in Allie's living room in the middle of the night.

"Deb? What are you doing here?"

Deb turns to face her. "Franky brought me. I was at the same concert with my friend Jess. She left with her boyfriend but I stayed behind."

There's a look on her face and a tone in her voice Allie picks up on, there's more to the story.

She walks closer, coming to a stop just in front of Deb.

"Is everything okay?"

"Well, there was this guy, we were talking..."

"Did something happen?"

"I saw her talking to him, she looked uncomfortable so I started walking over. Then the asshole got handsy with her and I stepped in, almost broke the fucker's arm. Security kicked him out," Franky finishes for her, giving a glass of water to Debbie.

"He put hands on you? Did he hurt you?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm fine. He grabbed my wrists and pulled me back when I tried walking away from him, Franky helped me."

That still doesn't fully explain how she got here.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why did she bring you back here? Aren't you supposed to be staying with Jess and her parents?"

Deb stays quiet and Franky responds for her.

"About that. It seems Jess and mini-Bea here were told they couldn't go to the concert. But they snuck out and caught a ride with Jess's boyfriend after her parents went to bed, isn't that right?"

Franky looks at Deb in a way that's almost like a disappointed mother scolding her child. Allie has to try hard not to laugh at her expression.

"Yes," Deb answers, shifting her eyes to the floor.

"I drove Jess home, found her bumping uglies with the boyfriend in the parking lot, she didn't leave after all. Her parents were pissed, obviously. So now Deb needs to find a new place to stay, they don't want her there anymore.

The words bad influence came up after Jess claimed her innocence, totally threw Deb under the bus. She said it was all her idea, the little shit even put on some pretty convincing tears.

But if you ask me, the girl with a butterfly tattoo on her lower back, dating a guy with a porno mustache, getting plowed in the back seat of what was probably his mom's minivan isn't much to look up to either. No offense, but you should get yourself some new friends, Deb.

The parents called Red, she was understandably upset but there's not much she can do from the hospital at one a.m. I talked to her and told her Deb can stay with us tonight until they find another arrangement. She asked if one of us can take her to the hospital tomorrow.

And that brings us to now. I'm going to bed. The spare room is yours Deb, Allie can make the bed for you."

Franky walks upstairs and Allie sighs.

"So, anything to say, Deb?"

Deb leans back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling.

"What am I supposed to do? I messed up my only place to live right now. The hospital won't let me stay again, it's some kind of policy they have. Mom's gonna be mad, I was really stupid tonight."

"Don't worry about that right now, we'll figure something out, promise."

She links pinkies with Debbie, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'll take you to see her first thing in the morning. It's late, you should get to bed."

After Allie makes up the bed and gets Deb situated, she sends a text to Kaz.

_Something came up, I'll be in late tomorrow._

**Kaz:** _**Everything ok bubba?**_

_Something I need to do, I'll tell you more in the morning._

She sends one to Bea too.

_I talked to Deb, let me know how I can help. I'll talk to Franky, maybe she can stay with us until you get out._

She gets an incoming text, from Deb.

**Deb:** **_Are you still awake?_**

_Yeah, do you need something?_

**Deb: ****_No, I just wanted to ask how your talk went today._**

_It went well, we talked for hours. I learned a lot about her. We're good now, back to friends. And she wasn't mad at me, you were right._

**Deb:** **_Told you she wasn't._**

**Deb: Oh, did ****_you bring the drawing home? She spent a couple of hours working on it._**

Allie sends a picture of the drawing in its frame.

_It's nice, I love it. I can tell she spent a lot of time on it._

**Deb:** **_She really wanted you to like it, it was sweet to see. Good night._**

Allie smiles and quietly laughs to herself. She has one last thought as she rolls over to go to sleep.

_Bea Smith, you're going to make this strictly friends thing hard for me, aren't you?_

* * *

The next morning, Deb wakes up to a soft knock on the bedroom door.

"You awake in there?"

"Yeah, come in."

Franky pops her head in.

"Good morning, if you want a hot shower you might want to get in before Allie does. There's clean towels in the bathroom. Help yourself to my closet if you want, I should have something that fits you."

Deb gets up, brushes her teeth, and takes a quick shower. She borrows jeans and a shirt and from Franky's closet, opting for a long sleeve to cover the slight bruising on her wrists.

_That guy had a strong grip._

Deb leaves Franky's bedroom and follows the smell of bacon cooking, running into Allie in the hallway.

"How'd you sleep, Deb?"

"Fine, the bed was comfy."

"Good. What's with the long sleeves? It's supposed to be pretty hot today."

Debbie rolls up a sleeve in response.

"Didn't want Mom to see. But I'm sure it'll look suspicious, not like she hasn't done this a time or two."

Imagining Bea hiding injuries from Deb puts a lump in her throat, she swallows it down.

"You shouldn't keep things like this from her."

"I know but what do I say? I didn't think he grabbed me this hard."

"Just tell her the truth. It might upset her to see, but trying to cover it up, that would hurt her more.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll go change."

"Okay. I'll be down after I shower."

Debbie puts on a t-shirt then walks downstairs to the kitchen.

Franky is stood at the stove, flipping a piece of french toast.

"Hungry? It's done, grab a seat."

She sets a plate down in front of Deb and sits in the chair across from her, drinking a glass of orange juice. A few minutes later, Deb is almost done eating when Franky nudges her leg under the table.

"Your wrists, are you all right? I'm sorry I didn't notice him sooner. What was he saying to you before I came over?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not traumatized or anything, he mostly just gave me the creeps. He was nice at first but started asking personal questions.

If I've had sex before or if I wanted to be with an older guy. I got uncomfortable and said I have a boyfriend so maybe he'd leave me alone.

It just made him mad though, he called me a tease. That's when I tried to walk away. I thought we were just talking back and forth, I wasn't trying to lead him on."

"None of that is your fault, I hope you know that. That's on him for being sick enough to prey on innocent young girls. I'm glad you're okay with it, I wish it didn't have to happen. And I hope what he did won't keep you from enjoying going out, living your life."

"And miss out on concerts like that? No way, I won't let one jerk ruin my experiences."

"Good. But next time, make sure you have permission to go, no sneaking out and making your mom mad. Unless you invite me, of course."

"Now who's the bad influence? And by the way, you have way more tattoos than Jess."

Franky stands up, turns around, and lifts her shirt.

"Do you see a single butterfly on my lower back? I think not." She laughs before sitting back down.

"What's that one on your forearm about, the kite?"

"Stands for freedom."

"How so?"

"Well think about it, is there anything more free than flying? And what do kites do? It's pretty self-explanatory."

"I like the design. But, kites are held back by a string are they not? A bird would be the better symbol of free."

"Ouch, Deb. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that."

"Sorry. I have a question though, that thing you did with the guy's arm last night, can you teach me how?"

"If you're interested, Kaz helps teach self-defense classes at the gym once a week, she taught me some things. I can take you some time, learn you some moves to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Not that it would, but you know what I mean. With that said, if Kaz shows you anything it's to be used as a last resort. No trying to attack the first person that looks at you sideways, understood?"

"I understand, I think maybe I'd like to go. And thank you, for everything."

She stands once again and walks around the table, ruffling Debbie's hair.

"No problem, kiddo. Let me see your phone, I'll give you my number. Don't be afraid to call me any time need something, even if you just wanna talk. If I don't answer, call Allie, you know she'll come running."

Allie makes her way downstairs, hair still damp from the shower.

"Ready to go, Deb? Franky, do you want to come with?"

Franky collects her keys and wallet.

"Nothing better to do, count me in. I'll drive, let's roll, mini-Bea."

"Do you have to call me that?"

"Yep."

* * *

**(Bea)**

Bea feels conflicted. On the one hand, Debbie disregarded the rules with Jess's parents. On the other, her little girl was put in an uncomfortable position by some creep.

What if Franky hadn't been there to intervene? What if he had done something worse to Deb, spiked her drink?

Raped her? The thought makes Bea shudder. Fortunately that didn't happen, but she can't stop the what-if thoughts from creeping in.

She needs to discipline Deb for doing something she was specifically told not to.

_How am I supposed to enforce it if I'm stuck in the hospital? Should she even be punished? It's not like I never snuck out at her age. But what message is that sending, she can do something as long as I have?_

She'd need to talk with Deb about last night.

_Make sure she's okay, I haven't prepared her for these situations. I hope she doesn't think being treated like that is the norm, even if it was for me. God, what if everything with Harry has affected her somehow?_

Then there's the problem of where Debbie can stay for the next few days. Bea's doctor said she could leave in three if not more. The hospital has a policy about non-patients staying for extended periods of time.

She asked Maxine.

"I wish she could stay with me, but I don't have a place for her. I've got a full house with my family in town."

No luck there.

Liz and Annie are kind, but Bea doesn't feel she knows them well enough for this kind of favor.

Allie offered her help, though Bea is still undecided.

_I can't just drop my daughter on Allie and Franky like that. They both work and surely they've got better things to do than entertaining a teen, mature as Deb is._

However, she can't think of anyone else she'd rather put in charge of her child's welfare right now.

"Hi, Mom."

Into the room walks Debbie. Franky follows behind her, pushing Allie in a wheelchair, a big grin on her face.

"Well if you didn't leave your crutches at home, this wouldn't have to happen."

"I told you I can walk. Yo, Bea," Allie greets.

"Yeah but this is more fun for me," Franky replies. She gives Bea a friendly wave.

"Hi there, nice to meet you in person."

"You too. It's good to put a face to the voice."

"Well, I think Deb has something to tell you, so don't mind Allie and I, we'll be over in the corner, just pretend we're not here."

Bea doesn't have a chance to say a word before Deb starts talking.

"Right. Mom, I know what I did last night was stupid, and disrespectful to Jess's parents. I apologized to Andrew and Trish, for taking advantage of their hospitality and undermining their rules. I don't think I'm going to be friends with Jess anymore.

And I think I've solved our problem for my living arrangements, sorry for messing that up too. On the way here, Franky and Allie said that if you're good with it, I can stay with them until you get out of here. They have a spare bedroom.

Deb puts her arms out, showing the marks on them. Bea takes one in her hands, tracing the slight bruising with her thumb.

"I didn't want to show you, but it's better than hiding them. I know Franky told you about that guy last night. He made me very uncomfortable, but I'll be okay.

I get that there are just guys like that out there. You should've seen the look on his face when she came over and pulled his arm up behind his back, he was so scared it was almost sad."

"He probably didn't expect a woman on the other end of those masculine hands."

"These are the product of hard work, Allie. You'd have them too if you did any at home."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know."

Their conversation continues in the background, Deb goes on.

"She offered to take me to some self-defense classes, so I can learn a few things just in case. I also understand anything I learn is a last resort, I won't go around hurting random people."

"That's nice of her to offer. Deb, you know I'm going to have to punish you for the sneaking out. Not now, but when we're home."

"I know. That's fair."

"It's not my business, but if Deb stays with us, I have plenty of work around the house she could help me with. You know, if manual labor is the kind of punishment you had in mind."

"I think I'll take you up on that. Okay, Deb, do what Franky needs to be done and we'll call it good. What about yours and Allie's work schedules? Deb can take care of herself for the most part, but do you mind her staying when you two aren't home?"

"I can bring her to the shelter with me in the mornings, Kaz wouldn't mind and she'd find a way to keep Deb busy. My shifts at the bar don't start until five, I'm usually home around midnight."

"My schedule is plenty open this week. And I'm home by four every day. I don't plan on going anywhere at night, so Deb won't be alone."

"You two are really okay with her there? I don't want you to feel obligated."

Allie walks, limps, more like, over from the wheelchair.

"It's no obligation, we want her to stay."

Franky also walks over and throws an arm around Deb.

"Of course we're okay with it. I'd love having mini-Bea around, she's like the little sister I never had."

"Mini-Bea?"

"I guess it's my nickname now, they're kind of her thing. She calls you Red."

"Huh. Mini-Bea, I might have to steal that. What about you Allie, do you have one?"

"Dj Alliecat," Allie sighs.

"Because of your awful raps?"

"Awful? I thought you loved them."

"Love's a strong word. I don't hate them, but..."

"That hurts, Bea."

"Red's right, though. They are awful."

"Sorry, Allie. It's true," Deb agrees.

"Wow, you three sure make me feel loved."


	7. VII

**(Bea)**

The four of them visit for about an hour before Allie needs to get to the shelter. Bea hits it off with Franky almost immediately which comes as no surprise to either Allie or Debbie.

The two have a similar sense of humor and their conversation flowed naturally. Getting to know her a bit made Bea more comfortable with leaving Deb in her care.

To the dismay of Allie and the amusement of Debbie along with Bea, Franky has many embarrassing stories to tell about her.

The time eventually comes for the trio to leave, Franky promising she and Allie will return Deb home without a scratch and assuring Bea that she's in good hands.

Allie stays behind for a few minutes to talk with Bea, figuring now is a good time to let her know about the charges she pressed against Harry. She had spaced saying something yesterday.

"Hey, can I tell you something? I think it's kind of important."

"Sure, what's up?"

Bea makes note of the somewhat serious face Allie has. She seems uncertain, fidgeting with her hands, whatever she has to say must be hard for her or it's bad news.

"Should I be worried, did something happen? Go ahead and tell me."

Allie looks at the window behind Bea like the closed blinds are the most interesting thing in the room. She usually never has trouble telling people things.

"Nothing happened. Um, I just wanted you to know that night after the club when I got here to the hospital, I pressed assault charges against Harry for what he did to me.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wasn't sure if you'd be upset with me or not. That's what Will talked to me in the hall about that day they arrested him.

There's also a hearing in a couple of weeks, and I want to testify at it."

"That's it? And here I thought you were gonna tell me that Deb did something else. Don't worry, I'm not upset with you, at this point I realize that Harry deserves anything he gets.

If you told me this years ago, yeah, I probably would have defended him, he would've been inside my head twisting things around. Not anymore though, and thanks for telling me."

Bea isn't mad in the slightest, she feels relieved that Allie hadn't needed to tell her something more serious. She was curious though and Allie explains her reasons for wanting to testify at Harry's upcoming trial.

"Well, Jackson told me whatever I say there will reflect on your trial and could help it, which is what I want. It might make the charges stick better having another witness to what he's done, and I want to see the fucker to rot in prison."

Allie doesn't mean to let those words slip out of her mouth.

"Forget I said that, sorry."

Bea takes no offense to Allie's distaste for her ex-husband. She feels the same.

"Don't be. Believe me, I want that for him too, he's put me through hell. I won't try to talk you out of testifying against him. He'll be going away for a long time anyway, but if you feel like this is something you want to do, go for it.

And I'm glad you pressed charges because as far as I'm concerned, the more against him the better. I want him to be out of my life for good. Did you tell Deb this?"

"On the way over here. She wasn't mad and said you wouldn't be either. She was right."

"She almost always is, it can be annoying at times but don't tell her I said that."

"I won't, but you did just give me some great blackmail material."

Bea mocks a gasp and look of betrayal.

"How dare you, I thought we were friends."

"You know I'm joking, your secret is safe with me. Or is it?"

"Don't worry, I'll find some dirt to hold over your head someday."

"Pssh. I'm not scared one bit, Bea. I've got nothing to hide."

"We'll see about that. Do me a favor though, don't be afraid to tell me things in the future, okay?"

"You bet."

Allie leaves shortly after their conversation when she gets a call from Franky.

"Not to rush you or anything, but hurry your ass up. I can only circle the hospital so many times before it looks weird, and I'm not paying for another hour of parking."

With Debbie's living situation now handled, Bea sets about calling her realtor to get the house up on the market. She'll need to sign a few documents, and an appraiser will need to come by to calculate the worth of the house before it can be put up for sale.

After setting an appointment with the realtor to sign the required documents, she receives a call from the lawyer in charge of Harry's prosecution.

A trial date has been decided, exactly one month from today. Bea will have to testify in court, she's been given the option to do it over video so she won't have to see Harry. She declines, she wants to look at his face again.

Look into the eyes of the man who has tortured her for years. The cause of her many sleepless nights, the nightmares.

She wants to see the look on his face in the courtroom. The look of defeat when he realizes she's won this time, nothing he can do or say will get him out of this situation.

No promises made of him getting help with his drinking, getting counseling for his rage issues to keep her from leaving or reporting the abuse.

No clever words tricking her into believing he'd change, be a better man, a better husband. Promises that things would be different, they could be a happy family.

Bea is looking forward to no more feelings of betrayal when he eventually broke those promises. No feelings of self-loathing when she forgave him every time.

No more manipulating her into believing he's the real victim, a product of his childhood. His dependency of alcohol a coping mechanism, his tendency for anger and violence effects of the things he experienced.

An absent father, a mother who prioritized pills and alcohol over him and his brother's well-being. A mother who allowed abusive men into her home that took out their frustrations on a young Harry.

All carefully constructed lies, something he was good at, she would come to learn. In truth, his father died when Harry and his brother were just young boys.

Their mother was not always the most loving or affectionate, but kind nonetheless. She never remarried and they lived in a single-parent household until Harry moved out to start a life of his own.

He saw no cruelty. He saw no abuse. Bea learned from Harry's brother the truth of their childhood, which came as a complete shock to her.

She felt sick when she found out, she didn't know what kind of person could lie about something like that.

After that, she knew anything Harry said was untrustworthy. Thinking back over the years of knowing him, she didn't know what was true or not. Had their whole relationship been false?

She thinks back to how charming he was on their first date, how loving he was when he asked her to marry him. How he reacted when finding out Bea was pregnant, how excited he was to become a parent.

The times she felt he loved her. Was any of it real? She can't be certain.

This morning, she told Deb the news about the divorce being finalized and the plans to sell the house. Deb's initial reaction was excitement, but Bea could tell the reality of the situation set in for her. The divorce, along with Harry going to prison may be tough on her.

She knows Debbie still has some love for him, Bea can't blame her for that. Despite everything, he was a pretty good father to her. A truth Bea doesn't like to admit, but still a truth.

One of the reasons she stayed, Deb's love for Harry made Bea resist the urge to just up and leave with her, Bea feared she would resent her for it. Another being the threats of him fighting for custody, stealing her baby girl away.

"Deb loves me, she'll never forgive you if you take her from me. Try for divorce and I'll get custody, then I'm leaving and taking her with. You'll never see her again."

And yet another reason, the threats of having her mental health brought up if she were to take him to court.

"The hospital knows about the cuts, remember? You trying to off yourself, your stay in the loonie bin? All I have to do is give records to the court and they would see you unfit, they wouldn't let Deb live with you.

I'd just have to make one phone call that you're wanting to hurt yourself again, and you'll be back in the bin before you can even blink."

It's been years ago now since Bea's mental state deteriorated to the point of her starting to cut herself. A razor blade to her inner thighs to relieve her pain, and the stress of living with a man like Harry.

Bea wasn't one to turn to alcohol or take drugs. She soon became addicted to the feeling, craving the euphoria it brought to her.

But along with the relief also came the intrusive thoughts of taking things further, ending her suffering. Leaving the violence, the anguish behind.

The belief that things would be better if she wasn't around. It didn't help that Harry reminded her how worthless he thought she was every at every turn.

"You're nothing. If you dropped dead tomorrow, no one would mourn. Nobody loves you enough to care. You'd be forgotten in a day," was among the things he said to her.

This all came to a head, when one day while Harry was out of the house and with Debbie gone on a school trip, Bea used the blade on her wrists. As soon as the blood started streaming down her arms, immediate regret was what she felt.

Bea didn't want to die after all, she didn't want to leave Deb without a mother. This was the biggest mistake she'd made, one she couldn't take back.

Fortunately, she was able to get the bleeding under control and Harry returned home before she lost too much. He rushed her to the hospital and after being treated, she was admitted to a nearby psychiatric health center.

She spent forty-eight hours on suicide watch before the center decided she no longer was a danger to herself. In mandatory meetings with a psychiatrist, Bea chose her words carefully for fear of what might happen if she told them about the abuse. Would they even believe her?

The first time she told somebody, the police brushed it off, her word against Harry's wasn't enough for them to investigate.

Bea instead maintained that she had been unwell for a while, that she realized she should have sought professional help before resorting to something so drastic.

After two more days and meetings with the psychiatrist, it was determined this was a depressive episode, the cause behind her recent dark thoughts and self-harm.

Bea was prescribed antidepressants and released. Though some days have been worse than others, she hasn't turned a blade on herself since.

Today, the scarring on her wrists is vague, barely noticeable unless you look close. Bea knows Allie saw one of the marks, but Allie said nothing about it.

They serve as a reminder of the lowest point in her life, a reminder of the place Bea never wants to find herself again.

A month feels like a lifetime for the trial to happen, but she knows it will come up quick. One more month and she'll never see him again, the black cloud always looming overhead.

She'll never have to be afraid again. One more month and she'll have a life she wants, a life she deserves. One more month and… she doesn't know what.

Where to go once things are finished. A new home for sure, the old one is full of too many bad memories, too much pain.

She entertains the thought of moving to a new city, starting over with a clean slate. But with Debbie only having one more year of school, she'll stick it out and stay.

Another reason for her hesitation to leave comes in the form of a younger woman who recently came into her life, instantly settling into the small group of people which she feels she trust completely. Something out of character for Bea.

As silly as it seems, Bea doesn't want to leave for fear of her new friendship ending as quickly as it began. Friends like Allie are something Bea doesn't have a lot of, and she doesn't want to change that.

Sure, the other women at the salon are nice but she sees them as more acquaintances, Maxine being the exception. And any people Bea could consider friends before, her low self-esteem and doubt in herself unfortunately pushed most away.

She'd tend to criticize herself, questioning what said people actually thought of her. What they saw in her as a friend, causing her to not make an effort at keeping those friendships alive.

In the short time they've spent together, Bea's never felt the need to be on guard or uncomfortable around Allie. Never felt the need to be anything other than herself. With Harry, she had to dance around conversations, say the right things.

Keep her tone neutral, her emotions in check. Be someone different. She was like that with Maxine too, before she got to know her better. Somewhat closed off, not speaking more than necessary.

Responding as if she read from a script. To Maxine's credit, she was never put off by Bea's behavior and managed to get Bea to put down some of the walls she built around herself. With Allie, none of that. She doesn't have to hesitate in their conversations.

For reasons unexplainable to herself, Bea's mind gravitates towards thoughts of Allie a lot lately. Their visit yesterday and this morning, how glad Bea feels to call her a friend. How genuine she is, how kind she is to Debbie.

How she always seems to be in high spirits. The way she laughs at her own jokes like they're the funniest the world has ever heard.

The interest she takes in everything Bea says, no matter how mundane, her attention undivided. Allie seems to care about her but Bea can't help but think otherwise. The idea of someone caring about her seems almost foreign to her.

Years of being treated like dirt, like less than nothing has made her feelings of self-doubt stronger than the feelings of self-worth. Why does Allie even want to be her friend? She tries pushing that thought out of her head, but it keeps coming back.

Now the thought most confusing by far in her head as of late.

_She's really pretty._

She never paid much attention to Allie's looks until she took a longer look at her. Her blue eyes, and her smile that can almost light up a room.

Bea isn't sure how to make sense of that revelation. She tells herself it's normal, a blind man could see Allie is attractive. She knows that she can acknowledge someone's beauty without it meaning much.

She's seen many beautiful women walk into the salon, but never took a second glance. They didn't make an impact in her mind, she definitely never thought of them again. And again. And again.

Not to mention the fact that she found her eyes drifting to Allie's face during their visit this morning. Unknown to Bea, her glances were noticed by Franky. She followed Bea's gaze, finding the same destination each time. She made a mental note to bring it up to Allie later.

Bea denies it to herself, but there could be something different about this and she's not sure what to think. This feeling is strange.

**(Deb)**

After leaving the hospital, Franky takes Allie home so she can go to the shelter. She drives Deb home to check on the house and grab anything she might need while she stays over. Franky comes to a stoplight and reaches over to turn down the radio in the car.

"You haven't said a word since we left, is something wrong?"

Deb is looking out the window, watching the buildings pass by.

"Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about what Mom said about the divorce being final. And when she's out of the hospital, we're selling the house. I haven't seen her this happy in a while.

I know she's looking forward to leaving the house behind, and getting a fresh start somewhere new. This is my problem though. I'm glad we won't have to deal with him anymore, but Harry going to prison is a little bittersweet for me.

I think I'm kind of going to miss him, does that sound bad? He was a terrible person to her but a loving Dad to me, believe it or not. I have good memories.

Is it wrong that part of me still loves him? I don't want her to think I'm okay with the things he's done to her."

Franky takes her eyes off the road for a split second to look at Debbie's face, the poor girl seems conflicted.

"No, it's not wrong to feel that way. Despite what he's done, you're still his daughter and you can still love him. He's been a part of your life for what, almost eighteen years? It's natural to feel like you'll miss him.

Don't be afraid to hold on to the good memories you have. I'm sure your mom would understand, she can't expect you not to love your dad, even with how he treated her.

I think this is something you should talk to her about though. Just let her know how you're feeling."

"Thanks, that makes me feel better. How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

"I'm not all that, I'm just a good listener I guess."

"Don't sell yourself short, you're good at giving advice."

"Thanks, kiddo. So, are you gonna finish directing me to your house? I'm flying blind here."

"Yeah. Take a right after the next light then it's the last house on the left side of the street."

Franky pulls up and parks across the street. It's a modest-looking house, garage entrance on the street, the house above it. Franky lived in one much like this when she was a kid.

"Expecting company?"

She points to the red pickup truck parked in front of the house.

"No. I don't know who it could be."

"Well let's go find out."

Franky takes the lead with Deb not far behind. They get close to the truck when a man carrying a toolbox walks out of the garage and closes the door.

Franky nods her head to him in greeting. "Can we help you with something?"

"Hi, I didn't expect anyone home. I'm just here to fix this door."

The door Fletcher kicked in when arresting Harry. He pulls a piece of paper from his shirt pocket.

"This is my work order. And while you're here, I need a signature, are either of you Bea Smith?"

"I'm Debbie, her daughter."

"That'll work. I had to replace the locks. This is the new key. Sign and date on the dotted line."

He passes a pen and the work order, Deb signs. He gives her the new key as well.

"I just finished so I'll get out of your hair. Have a nice day."

"You too."

Deb opens the door and steps into the garage, Franky following.

"I'll run up real quick."

Debbie's footsteps fade, replaced by, "Franky, come up here."

Franky walks up the stairs, stopping in the doorway just behind Debbie.

The house is a wreck. The kitchen table is flipped over, drawers ripped out and cupboards left open, their contents spread throughout the kitchen. To the left, the living room is also in disarray. Couch cushions taken off, both bookshelves empty, everything on the floor.

"I'll check the other rooms."

Debbie reports that both bedrooms and bathrooms are in the same state, a total mess. The beds are stripped, mattresses on the floor. Any desks, closets or dressers have all their contents thrown around the rooms.

"You think this could've been your dad?"

"No doubt in my mind. He was looking for a key to the lockbox Mom kept hidden. It wasn't here."

"Looks like he was pretty desperate to find it."

"He was. And he did find it, he broke into Maxine's salon where Mom works, she kept it there."

"All this for a key?"

"He really wanted to know what was inside the box."

"What was in it?" Debbie has a thoughtful look on her face and Franky retracts what she just said.

"Sorry, it's probably none of my business."

"No it's fine, I just thought Allie would've told you. She was documenting the abuse he put her through. A journal and a couple of cameras. I don't want to get into all the details again if that's all right."

Franky nods and takes one last look around at the destruction before sighing.

"Well, we can't leave it like this. Help me get the table flipped back over. Let's start cleaning here and work to the back, sound good?"

**(Allie)**

Allie parks her car behind the shelter, she gets ready to hop out and walk inside when her phone beeps, indicating a text message.

**Bea: _I just want to thank you again for having Deb over, I really do appreciate your help. I can repay or replace any food she eats or things of yours she uses._**

_Hey no problem, you don't have to keep thanking me you know. We're glad to have her. And like I said earlier, I'm not accepting any money from you, you don't need to pay me for anything and I don't expect it._

**Bea: _How about when I get back to work I'll do your hair like we talked about, no charge. At least let me do that in return. A token of my appreciation._**

_Ok. If you're that adamant about doing something for me, that's a fair trade, I'll accept that. I just got to the shelter, I'll talk to you later._

Allie walks to the back door and enters the six-digit code on the keypad. Kaz had to upgrade security measures after one of the women, who was kicked out for bringing in drugs and using them in the shelter, came back one early morning high as a kite.

She came inside the shelter and started trashing the place, destroying anything and everything she could get her hands on. She even broke a couple of windows surrounding Kaz's office.

Police were called, she was arrested after resisting and spitting into the face of one of the officers.

Once inside, Allie shuts the door and lets it automatically lock behind her. She walks into the common area, seeing one of the women reading a book on the couch, Laura.

Laura is a woman who's been living at the shelter for about four months. She's of the same height and build as Allie, but four years older than her with dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes.

"Hey Laura, how's the apartment hunt going?"

Laura closes her book and sets it on the table in front of her.

"Still hunting. I saw a few today and I gotta tell ya, there are some real shitholes around here. Kaz is in her office printing some more listings, she's taking me to see a few more places today.

I can't wait to find my own place to live, have my own bathroom and shower. Especially the shower, I swear to God if I have to see Maggie's old sagging ass again, I might die."

"Ugh, thanks for that mental image. I hope you find something, good luck. I'm going to check in with Kaz, I'll see you around."

Allie walks across the common room, to Kaz's office, by the front door of the shelter. The door is open, she walks right in.

"Good morning, Kaz."

Kaz is sitting in the office chair behind her computer on the desk, looking at affordable housing listings for Laura.

"Hey kid, I was wondering when you'd show up. Not like you to be this late, what came up?"

"Sorry, had to help someone, Bea. Her daughter Debbie got into a little trouble and Franky brought her home last night. I had to take Debbie this morning to the hospital to see her. Franky and I are letting Deb stay with us until Bea gets out."

"I see. That's nice of you. What trouble did she get into?"

"Nothing too serious, she and a friend snuck out to see a concert. The parents weren't happy, and they asked Debbie to find somewhere else to stay. She was staying there until Bea gets out."

"Hm. And this Bea, tell me more about her."

_Let the interrogation begin._

"Well, you know how she got to the hospital, why I got all beat up. I mean, what else do you want to know? She's nice, funny, I like being around her.

She's a good mother to Debbie, she's trying hard to be both parents at the moment. She's been through a lot in her life thanks to her husband. She's a good friend."

"And her husband? What's the situation there?"

"He's her ex now, their divorce was just finalized yesterday. It looks like he'll be going to prison for a long time."

Kaz has known Allie long enough to be able to read her face like an open book. When talking about Bea, Allie has a look about her. This Bea woman is obviously of some importance to Allie.

"How do you feel about her?"

She's also known Allie long enough to know of her one major flaw, being that if Allie happens to fall for someone, she falls hard.

Allie has a tendency of rushing in and moving things along too quickly, eventually pushing the other person away, shattering her heart. Leaving Kaz and Franky to help pick up the pieces. So this line of questioning is not completely unnecessary, more out of concern than judgment.

"I care about her."

"Is it more than that?"

Allie shakes her head. "We're only friends, I'm not after anything more, she's not either. She's straight, she made that clear, if that matters to you."

It doesn't. Over the years of running the shelter, Kaz has seen many romantic relationships form. Her main takeaway from seeing these relations is that the labels don't always matter.

Kaz can't speak for Bea as she doesn't know her and it wouldn't be fair to the woman, but she's seen women identifying straight start relationships with the same sex before and be together happily.

"That doesn't make a difference to me. I just want to know you'll be careful, that your heart doesn't take the lead with your feelings. I don't want to see it broken again."

"Kaz, you don't have to treat me like my heart is made of glass. I know and you know that I can rush in, get in over my head with people.

But I want you to understand what happened with Em or any of my other relationships are in the past. This is different, I'm not going to get attached like I did with her or anybody else.

And I'm not going to push boundaries with Bea like that. We are just friends."

She makes her point with a stern look.

Kaz seems to accept what Allie says, though she's still skeptical, noting that the words 'this is different' have been uttered by Allie on more than one occasion. But Kaz has to trust maybe this time it truly isn't the same. She moves on with the conversation.

"So, how long is Debbie staying with you?"

"Just a few more days. Would it be okay if I bring her with me tomorrow? I'd rather her be here than stay alone at the house all day."

"What's the girl like? I hope she's willing to help around here."

"She's willing. Deb is a good kid, last night is an exception. She's smart, really mature for her age, has her life plan figured out already. She's had to grow up sooner than most kids, she has seen what her dad put Bea through."

Allie explains some of what she learned from Deb over the last several days.

What Deb has experienced recently, now that she knows the extent of the torment Harry has provided over the years. How she's taken on protecting Bea from Harry over the last few months.

From her own life experience and the experiences of people she's met in her life, like Allie, Kaz can relate with having to mature before your time or seeing traumatic things most others don't.

In her time running the shelter and being a social worker for adults and adolescents alike, Kaz had seen how that could be positive or negative. How experiencing neglect or abuse either directly or indirectly as a child, teen even can follow into adulthood.

Sadly, a lot of negative. Many women and men Kaz has known or provided support to that experienced or witnessed any kind of abuse or neglect turned to drugs and alcohol, sex to deal with that trauma. Kaz puts those sad thoughts aside.

"She has her mom's personality, it's almost completely identical. It's so obvious which parent she takes after, Bea has raised a great kid. Franky likes to call her Mini-Bea, and there's some truth to that, they look a lot alike too."

Allie answers a few more questions before Kaz has to cut their conversation short after noticing the time.

"Sorry to run out on you, but I need to take Laura to look at a few more apartments before she leaves for work. And bring Debbie in tomorrow, she sounds like a nice kid."

"Thank you, Kaz."

After Kaz leaves with Laura, Allie gets started on her duties for the day.


	8. VIII

Two hours later, Debbie and Franky had made considerable progress, just both bedrooms and the master bathroom left to clean up. Franky decides to call it quits for now and suggests they take a lunch break.

Debbie agrees and looks in the fridge, finding nothing but a case of beer and expired, leftover food. A grocery run is in store for her in the near future, but pizza delivery will have to do for now.

Franky helps herself to a glass of water and makes a quick phone call to Bridget, letting her know what she and Deb are up to, and confirming their plans for tonight.

They were originally due for a dinner date and a movie. But with Deb now staying over, they made a slight change. Franky would make dinner, Bridget would join them, they'd watch the movie of Debbie's choice.

Debbie takes this time to sit at the kitchen table and look through the pile of mail she collected from the floor, nothing but spam mail and a few bills. She sends a quick message to Bea letting her know the state of the house and the progress she and Franky have made so far.

While waiting for the pizza to come, Franky's curious nature gets the better of her. She walks around the living room and looks at the pictures hanging in their frames.

She sees that in nearly every one with Harry in them, Bea had smiles that never quite reached her eyes and a look of discomfort about her.

Her uneasiness was subtle but noticeable. It's clear whatever this guy put Bea through had her on edge constantly.

In the few pictures of just her and Debbie however, her smiles are genuine and she looks so happy. There's no apprehension evident. Franky can see just how much love Bea has for her daughter.

Franky smiles at the pictures of Deb as a baby and toddler, she was an adorable little girl. She stops at a certain picture of a teenage girl, maybe fifteen years old at a park in the city they live in.

She recognizes it as Bea. Franky has seen and been to this park before, her dad used to take her as a kid.

She pulls out her phone and brings up a photo, one of the only pictures of her father Franky has. She was a young girl, sitting on his shoulders, her shoes leaving muddy prints on his shirt. He was smiling, she was smiling.

Looking at the picture, she starts reminiscing about the memories she has of her father. The time he taught her to ride a bike, when he'd let her have dessert before dinner, their little secret.

Franky hadn't seen him for most of her childhood and all of her adult life. She's lost count of the years since he walked out, though she still vividly remembers the day he left.

She must have zoned out, not realizing Debbie was talking until a hand on her shoulder startles her, making her jump a bit.

"Didn't mean to scare you, but you spaced out on me. Are you okay over here?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, just feeling a little nostalgic."

She points to the wall behind her. "I was looking at this picture of your Mom. It reminded me of my Dad, he used to take me to that same park when I was a young kid.

He taught me how to fly my first kite there. He was the one that told me about the kite and freedom thing too, it's why I got this tattoo."

Deb waits to see if Franky would elaborate more on her father, but she never does. It must be a sore subject to talk about. She wants to ask, but thinks better of it, she won't make Franky tell her anything she doesn't want to.

Little does she know, Franky is dreading Debbie's next question. The only people she confided in with this topic were Bridget or Allie. Thankfully the doorbell rings and Deb goes downstairs to answer the door.

Deb comes back moments later, pizza box in hand. She pulls two clean plates from the dishwasher and sets them on the table. The two eat in silence for a few minutes before Franky breaks it by asking a question.

They spend the next almost hour talking to each other. Deb learns she and Franky share quite a bit in common. After cleaning up from their meal, they get back to work on the house. They split up, Franky tackles Deb's bedroom while Deb handles Bea's.

It's hard work, but they finish hours later. The house looks how Debbie remembers seeing it last. Once they're done, Deb heads to her room to pack a bag of clothes and anything else she might need over the next few days. She locks up the house then meets Franky downstairs in her car.

They make a quick stop on their way for Franky to pick up some ingredients for dinner. The duo gets home just as Allie is leaving, she stops to talk on her way out the door.

"Where have you two been all day?"

"We got back to my house, to see it was trashed. Harry did a number on it. We spent all day picking up, we got it back in order though," Deb says, stifling a yawn with her hand.

Allie notices how tired the girl looks. "You could've called, I would have helped you guys. I'd love to stay and talk but I gotta go. I won't be home until after one, closing up the bar tonight."

Allie steps off the porch before turning back around. "Oh and Deb, I usually leave around nine to get to the shelter in the morning."

"I'll be ready."

Once Allie goes on her way, Franky gets around to making dinner with Deb helping. Deb takes over the task, allowing Franky to take a shower.

While she finishes cooking, Bridget shows up, giving them time to talk a bit. Debbie only met her in passing last night at the concert.

They exchanged just a quick hello before she and Franky left in search of Jess. Once Franky returns from upstairs, Deb takes a minute to watch how Franky interacts with Bridget.

She finds it cute, that tough demeanor of Franky's all but melting away in the presence of her girlfriend. From what she can see over the course of just minutes, the two of them are head over heels in love with each other.

She also finds herself wondering if Bea would eventually find a person like that, someone who adores her the way Franky so obviously adores Bridget. Maybe some day.

After dinner, Deb helps with the dishes. She, Bridget, and Franky then gather around the kitchen table to play a board game, at Franky's request, giving Debbie a glimpse at her competitive side.

After Bridget dominates them in Monopoly, and after Franky accuses her of cheating, they settle in the living room to watch a movie. Franky and Deb both have the same love of cheesy romantic comedies, to Bridget's dismay.

Sometime during the movie, Deb falls asleep. Franky waits for it to end before shaking her awake.

"The movie's over, kiddo. Ready for bed?"

Debbie leaves her spot on the couch and walks upstairs, after brushing her teeth and texting Bea to tell her good night, she falls into a deep sleep.

After about five minutes, Franky moves closer to Bridget on the couch, putting an arm around her. "Hey. Come here often? How about you and I, we head upstairs?"

Bridget smirks at her. "Franky, remember what Allie said?"

Franky has a moment to think before responding, no enthusiasm in her voice at all. "No sex in the house while Deb is under our roof. I wish I hadn't agreed to that. I don't know about you, but I can be real quiet if I have to be. No one would ever know."

"You're the opposite of quiet. You're also forgetting what else she said."

Franky sighs. "No matter how quiet I, Franky Doyle, promise to be. Do you always have to stick to the rules?"

"It's only for a few days. Surely you can last that long."

Franky tries her best puppy eyes. "Please?"

"On second thought, still no."

Bridget stands up, putting an end to their discussion. "Walk me to my car?"

"You sure don't want to stay?"

"Can you keep your hands to yourself?"

"Nope. You should probably go."

* * *

It's just after 1:30 a.m. when Allie gets home. She eats the leftovers Franky saved for her then goes straight to the shower to wash away the stench of liquor on her. Tonight she dropped a drink she was making and spilled it all over herself, something she hasn't done since being new to bartending.

She was off her game tonight, Bea was on her mind again, causing her to lose focus. She's been having a hard time getting Bea out of her head recently, for a few reasons.

Number one being the attraction towards her, not that Allie plans to act on it, but there's no point for her to try and deny it. She knew it from the first time she laid eyes on Bea. She may have told her otherwise, but Bea is very much Allie's type.

She's realized it isn't just purely physical either, Bea happens to have all the positive personality traits that she looks for in a romantic interest. A fact she'll keep to herself.

She tried to keep the staring to a bare minimum at the hospital this morning, the last thing she wanted was for Bea to notice her. She just can't keep herself from looking Bea's way.

Franky, being ever observant, did pick up on it. It seems Allie wasn't as subtle as she thought with the stolen glances.

She pulled Allie aside to have a conversation just before she left for the bar, after sending Deb inside with the groceries she bought and making sure she was out of earshot.

"Could you have been any more obvious?"

"About what?"

"At the hospital this morning, with Red. You couldn't keep your eyes off of her the whole time we visited."

Allie opened her mouth to protest, Franky cut her off.

"No reason to deny it."

"I… fine. I think she's attractive, that I can admit."

"Clearly. You were practically drooling."

"I was not."

"You so were. But you weren't the only one with wandering eyes."

"You too?"

"Not gonna lie, I took a look or two. She's definitely a hot one. I'm not talking about me though, I meant her. She was looking your way a lot too, you didn't notice?"

"I saw. She was probably checking out my messed up face, I do still look pretty beat up."

"Yeah, but it'd only take one look for her to see that. She was just checking you out."

"Checking me out? I doubt that, she's-"

"She's undeniably straight, I know. Doesn't mean she can't think you're good looking. I followed her eyes, they kept landing on you."

"I don't think that's it. Why tell me this?"

"I'm just saying what I saw. The way she looked at you, there's something about it."

"I think you're reading too much into it."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

"Whatever you say, Franky. Are we done? I need to go before I'm late."

Franky couldn't be serious, why tell Allie that? She had to be reading too much into it. At the same time, there's the thought in the back of Allie's mind.

What if Bea is even remotely attracted to her like Franky said? Then what? She won't get her hopes up, that would be a mistake.

There are also the circumstances of their meeting, them becoming friends. It's funny in a way, she's never become friends with someone after taking a beating from said friend's husband.

Allie would do it again in a heartbeat.

Something else on her mind is the fact that she wasn't planning on going out to the club that night. She wanted to stay home, have a quiet night in.

Franky convinced her, and Allie was glad she did. If she hadn't gone, Bea very well may have died at the hands of Harry. She may have become another victim of domestic violence.

_Another Em._

Allie goes through the sequence of events. If Franky hadn't convinced her to get out of the house for a night, would someone else have been there to intervene?

If Allie hadn't gone for that cigarette when she did, even just minutes later, would Bea have survived any longer?

Harry did a lot of damage to Bea over what, just a few minutes? Allie tries her best not to dwell on what could've happened. She got there on time, that's all that matters.

She figures their meeting had to be fate, how else could things have lead her to that moment? Lifeworks in mysterious ways. They've known each other for less than a week and already, Allie feels Bea coming into her life has made a positive impact.

Allie finishes up in the shower then exits the bathroom, noting a few key differences. The hall light is turned on, Franky is no longer in her room, the door to Deb's room is wide open. She hears Franky's voice.

"Hey, you okay in here?"

Walking over and peeking her head in the door, she sees Franky standing next to Deb who is sat up in bed, clearly upset about something, it's apparent she'd just been crying. Allie looks over to Franky, getting a shrug in return.

Allie walks further in the room. "Deb, what's wrong?"

She doesn't answer, Allie tries again. "Talk to me."

Debbie looks up at Allie. "It's dumb. I had a nightmare. I feel like a little kid."

"What was it about?"

"About Harry and my mom. In the dream, he broke in, he was trying to take me away with him. You and Franky weren't here. He pulled me down the stairs and out the front door. We were almost to his van, and then Mom was there. They fought, he hit her, she fell.

That's when he pulled a knife. He stabbed her, he wouldn't stop and I couldn't move to help, like I was stuck in place. He killed her. That's when I woke up."

Deb has a look like she's about to start crying again, Allie tries calming her down. "It was just a bad dream. There's no way he could hurt her. You know where she is, you know she's safe."

"I know. It just felt so real, like I was there."

"Anything I can do for you?"

Allie isn't really sure how to handle this situation.

"No," Deb assures them she'll be fine, Allie and Franky leave the room.

Allie stops Franky before she goes back to her room.

"How'd you know she was awake? I didn't hear a peep."

"I stuck my head in to check on her, she was already up when I opened the door."

"You were checking on her?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure she was sleeping well, that's all."

"Uh-huh, sure. You have a soft spot for Deb, huh? You meant what you said her being like a little sister to you, didn't you?"

"Okay, I like the kid. And maybe I care about her a little bit. Something wrong with that? I'm allowed to feel, you know."

"Nothing wrong with that. It's just funny, that tough exterior, it's all for show."

"Hey, I'm not completely heartless."

* * *

It's around nine in the morning when Allie and Deb leave the house to head to the shelter. Allie stops just before they get in the car.

"Deb, before we go, just wanna make sure, you okay today?"

"Yep, I'm all good. It was just a dream. I'll be fine."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."

After about a fifteen-minute drive, Allie parks in her usual spot behind the shelter.

She doesn't say it out loud, but Debbie wonders if Bea ever tried finding a place like this, coming for help. How different would things have turned out if she had? But knowing her Mom like she does, it's likely Bea would have been too untrusting of other people to get help with Harry. She took it upon herself to deal with him.

Deb decides not to wonder too much, not like it matters anymore. After getting out of the car, Deb remembers she has seen this building before. She passes it nearly every day on her way to school, just assuming it's empty, there are no signs or identifying markings.

From the street, the shelter looks like an average brick building. Any windows out front are tinted with shut blinds, you couldn't see inside if you tried.

She follows behind Allie. "I've walked by here on the way to school so many times, I thought it was just an empty building."

"We have to keep it discreet," Allie replies.

"Why's that?"

"For the women's safety. A lot of them are escaping from abusive relationships and we can't have their abusers find out where they are."

"Oh. Has that happened before?"

Allie reaches out and enters her code on the keypad. "Once. I wasn't there that day but someone's boyfriend found out where she was somehow, and showed up. He walked in and tried dragging her out with him, but Kaz was able to hold him off long enough for the cops to come.

After that happened, we moved here from the old building. I'm sure you probably wouldn't, but please make sure not to tell anyone about this place."

Once they make it inside, Allie spots Kaz talking to a woman in her office she's never seen before. She looks older, in her late fifties if Allie has to guess. Long, dark hair with streaks of gray throughout fall down her back.

Allie chooses not to interrupt.

"I'll show you around. As you can see, this is the common room, some of the girls get together for movie nights a few times a week."

The room in question has two couches, a recliner, and a big flat-screen TV.

"We have twelve rooms for the women to sleep in, six upstairs, six down here. Each one has a bed, desk, and closet space. We had sixteen at the old place. There are two communal bathrooms, a laundry room, and a kitchen.

We have an extra room that Kaz is slowly turning into a gym, we have some equipment but she wants to get more soon."

Deb notices how huge this building is inside. "It doesn't look this big at all from the outside. How many people live here now?"

"Just seven, but Laura is looking to move into an apartment so we'll be down to six soon. We've had a full house a few times in the past. And it looks like Kaz is talking to a new person."

"Where is everyone?"

"Most are at work now. There's three that aren't working, but they're looking. We encourage them to work or go to school. There are some education programs and job training specifically for women who live in shelters like this.

It's important that they're able to support themselves. Most had to rely on their abusers for financial support, so them being self-sufficient is key."

Deb takes all this information in with an interest. While walking through the shelter, Deb notices that everything from the TV in the common room to the kitchen appliances, all the furniture, and even the exercise equipment are in great shape, brand new by the looks of it.

"How do you guys afford to keep it up and running? Everything here looks brand new."

"We get some funding from the state, but donations too. Kaz has made some connections in the community, and we have a lot of generous donors. They like to support our cause. Not just this shelter, there's more around the city that get the same support, which is a really good thing."

"You said she runs this all by herself?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Kaz has put in a lot of time and effort in her life to get help to those who need it most. She has done a lot for the women that have come and gone through the shelter over the years. She helps them find jobs, places to live. Gets them any support they may need, counseling for addictions, for PTSD, or anything else like that.

She helped me find a place to work, even found me somewhere to live when I wanted to move out of here. That's how I met Franky actually, Kaz knew she was looking for a roommate and got me in touch with her. We've been friends ever since."

"Are you the only one who volunteers here?"

"There are a few other people that do other than me. Honestly, Kaz could probably handle everything herself. But I enjoy coming in, helping out where I can."

"Do you think I could come back in to help sometime?"

"I don't see why not. Kaz wouldn't mind. You might want to ask your Mom beforehand."

Once they make it back to the common room, Kaz finishes her conversation and waves Allie over.

"Hey Kaz, new arrival?"

"Yeah, her name's Ava. She got here just before you did. Can you get her settled in? Go over the rules and show her to a room."

"Sure."

Allie walks over to greet their new arrival.

"Ava, right? I'm Allie."

Debbie looks around, taking in her new surroundings. Kaz makes her way over and introduces herself. "Hi, you must be Debbie. I'm Karen, but everybody calls me Kaz. Allie told me lots about you. All good things, I promise."

Deb shakes the outstretched hand. Kaz hugs her, surprising her some.

"Sorry, I'm a hugger."

"It's nice to meet you. Allie talks about you a lot too. She says you're like a mother to her."

"And she's like a daughter to me. How is yours doing, your mom? I heard what happened."

"She's doing much better. She'll be able to leave the hospital soon."

"That's good to hear."

"So is there anything you need help with? Allie said you'd be putting me to work today."

"Eager to help, I like that. I do have a job for you. It's laundry day, so I need you to go around to the rooms and collect the laundry bags that are outside of the doors.

Four rooms upstairs, three down here. Then bring them to the laundry room. You know how to work a washer and dryer?"

"I do."

"Great. You'll only be washing the bedding and towels. The women are in charge of washing their own clothes. If you could also check the bathrooms and kitchen for any extra towels or rags, I appreciate it. Come find me when you're done or if you have a question, I'll be in my office."

Just a few minutes later, Deb finishes her task and returns to Kaz.

"That was quick. Another thing, did you see the clipboards mounted on the walls outside of the rooms?"

"Yeah."

"Can you collect the forms attached? I'm sending Allie out later to buy anything we need for the shelter and some essentials for the women, their names and what they need will be marked.

Take them to Allie, then meet me in the laundry room. She should be taking inventory in the kitchen."

Deb finds Allie and delivers the forms.

"Thanks, Deb. How's it going so far?"

"So far so good. I need to go meet up with Kaz."

Debbie makes it to the laundry room.

"Okay Debbie, every woman has two sets of bedding, four bath towels, four washcloths. They're all the same, so don't worry about keeping everything separate. Once you're done, fold and bag everything, take them back to the rooms."

"Anything else?"

It makes Kaz happy to see how much initiative Deb seems to show. Allie was right about her being a good kid.

"Just one more thing. Once you're done in here, the kitchen needs to be cleaned too. If you could wipe everything down and wash the dishes, any cleaning supplies you need should be under the sink. After that, I don't have much else for you to do this morning.

If you want, you can go with Allie when she goes to the store or hang out here until she gets back. She also said you might want to come back in to help after today."

"I do want to if that's okay?"

"Absolutely. You're welcome any time."

Kaz leaves the room, Debbie gets started with the laundry. She makes quick work of washing, drying, and folding.

She finishes the last load, then takes everything back. With Allie's help, cleaning the kitchen takes no time at all. The morning flies by. Before she knows it, noon rolls around. She and Allie leave the shelter to go on that run to the store. Allie treats her to lunch beforehand, as thanks for her help today.

"How long have you known Kaz?"

Allie eats a fry then thinks in her head, doing the math.

"Four years, two months, eleven days. Don't look at me like that, I like to keep track."

"Do me next. When did we meet?"

"Hm. Six days and twenty-one hours ago."

"How is your memory so good?"

"Just one of my many talents, Deb."

"How did you meet Kaz?"

"Let's just say she helped me when I needed it most," Allie answers, hoping it's a good enough response.

She hasn't told Deb everything about herself and honestly has no plans to. Despite what Bea said, Allie still has some doubts about Deb looking down on her for her past.

Luckily, Debbie seems to accept that answer.


	9. IX

It's one o'clock and the store is unexpectedly busy for this time of day. After grabbing a cart and looking over her list of things she needs to buy, Allie thinks it might be quicker for them to split up.

"Deb, let's split up to save time. You keep the list. Hunt down what the women asked for. I'll take care of what Kaz needs for the shelter."

Deb departs with the list. They meet up ten minutes later.

"All right, Deb, you have everything?"

"Just about. I only need to find a few more things."

"Okay, I have all I need. You get the rest and meet me at the checkout."

Deb finds what she's looking for, meeting Allie at the checkout. Allie pays, and with a full cart, they move towards the exit.

Allie taps Deb on the shoulder just before they reach the doors. "I'll meet you outside. Just need to run to the bathroom."

Debbie pushes the cart outside then gets started on loading up the car.

Allie leaves the bathroom, feeling eyes on her. Seeing nobody looking at her, she continues on her way to the exit, ears perking up at the familiar voice she hears offering to get the door for her. She hasn't heard it in years, but recognizes it almost immediately.

She nearly freezes when she sees him. Michael. In her previous line of work, he was one of Allie's most loyal clients.

She could admit he was one of her favorites to see. He paid her generously, he didn't talk more than necessary, and he didn't have some strange sexual request whenever they met up.

Allie quickly walks out the door, keeping her head down in the hopes that he won't recognize her. That hope is dashed when he calls out to her. "Allie, is that you?"

_Shit._

Allie doesn't stop, she keeps walking. He matches her stride, following alongside her. "It is you. Long time no see."

Allie ignores him and keeps moving. He steps in front of her, blocking her path, making her stop. "Hey, don't be like that, don't act like you don't know me. Where have you been?"

"I've been around."

She steps to his left, he blocks her yet again. "You busy tonight? How about I take you on a date, just like old times. Just name your price, you know money is no issue."

"I'm not interested."

"I'll pay double what your rates used to be," he responds.

At her eye roll and lack of reply, Michael sighs then pulls out his wallet, indicating to the cash inside. "Triple? You're worth it. All these years later, you're still the best I've ever had."

The old Allie would have taken the money as soon as it was offered. The old Allie would be in his car, driving to the nearest motel.

By memory alone, she can name three within a mile of their current location. But now, the offer just annoys her. She can't be bought anymore.

"Take the fucking hint, Michael. I told you I'm not interested. If you couldn't tell, I'm not working street corners anymore."

"Well, where are you working now?"

"Why do you care?" Allie snaps.

"Still your usual private self, I see. That's what I always liked about you, the mystery made you hotter. All that time we spent together, and I still only know your name."

"Let's keep it that way. Are we done?"

"At least let me give you my number before you go."

"Why would I?"

"So I can get to know you. Or not, we can keep it casual, no strings. You can call me whenever you're in the mood for some fun. I've missed that body of yours."

"What makes you think I want to do that with you?"

"If I remember correctly, you couldn't get enough of me. You said I'm the best lay you've had too. 'I've never come harder with anyone in my life,' remember?"

"Not even by myself." Allie finishes his sentence.

"That's right."

Allie laughs. She told nearly all of her customers that line. Compliments like that, or carefully chosen words before, during, and after sex said into the ears of her clients seemed to increase her payouts.

A trick she was taught early on in her career. It was amazing what people were willing to pay when she said the right things in just the right tone.

She's ready to be done with this conversation.

"Don't flatter yourself. You couldn't have gotten me off if you had instructions. I never actually enjoyed sleeping with you, I had to be high as a kite just to stand touching you.

You do realize whatever I did and said for you was just a way for me to get paid, right? Strictly business. And I'm sorry to say, even if I liked guys, which I don't, you're the last one I'd fuck," she adds as a final blow.

The look of realization Allie finds on his face is priceless.

"See you around, Mike."

She turns on her heel and heads towards the car.

"Even if you liked… you're a dyke? Seriously?"

Allie turns back around but doesn't respond to that with words, a wink thrown his way says more than enough.

Deb watched the exchange from the car while putting the last of the items from the shopping cart in the trunk. She saw some guy approach Allie and offer her money. She also heard some of their conversation, something about taking her on another date.

Whatever else he said made Allie mad. She looks livid when she gets in the car, the way she shuts the door with more force than necessary being a clear indicator.

Deb gets back in the passenger seat after returning the cart, she can feel Allie fuming. She says nothing about what she saw until they're back at the shelter, after she helps Allie put away the items she bought.

"Allie, that guy you were talking to at the store, what was that all about?"

"Oh, that? It was nothing, he's just somebody I used to know."

Debbie doesn't buy it. "Are you sure it was nothing? He offered you money to go on a date. I heard him, he said like old times. You've gone out with him before, I thought you didn't like men?"

Great. She had hoped to avoid this topic with Deb, but lying to her feels wrong.

"It's not like that, Deb. Look, I haven't told you everything about me. The person I used to be, the things I've done."

"What does that mean?"

Allie takes a breath, time to bite the bullet.

"I'll be honest with you, okay? I used to sleep with men for money. Women too, but mostly men. That guy I was talking to, he was one of the guys I saw the most. He'd pay me to go on dates in exchange for sleeping with him."

If her confused look is anything to go on, that's not the answer she was expecting to hear.

"You did? Why?"

"I was living on the streets after my parents kicked me out of the house. I met someone who got me into using drugs. She convinced me to sell my body too.

I was young, dumb, and blinded by what I thought was love. I would've done anything she asked me to. I'd give her the money, and she'd feed my habit. I'm not proud of it, but it's what happened."

"But, men? How…"

She knows what Deb is asking.

"Most of the time, I was too high for it to matter to me. None of it meant anything, I never liked it, but I was desperate enough to get my next fix so I did whatever it took."

Debbie is quiet the rest of the time they spend at the shelter and the whole car ride back home. Out of the corner of her eye, Allie sees Deb looking at her. She meets her eyes, what she finds makes her stomach sink. In that short moment, Allie recognizes a look she feels is akin to disgust.

Allie is very much a confident person. But her past, she's not the most proud of and it's a source of insecurity for her.

Deb looking at her like that only furthers that feeling. It's what Allie feared, Bea was wrong.

Debbie does see her in a new light for the things she's done. Of all the people, why'd it have to be _him_ she ran into?

As soon as they get home, Deb gets out of the car and goes straight to her room after getting into the house, saying just a few words to Franky along the way.

Allie waits a minute before walking in herself. Once she's inside, Franky motions her head towards the stairs. "What's up with her?"

Allie sighs before taking a seat next to her on the couch. "She was with me at the store today. I ran into somebody, I didn't even know he still lived around here. An old client of mine."

"By client, you mean… shit. Deb saw?"

"Yeah. He offered me money, wanted to take me out. She asked why, and I didn't want to lie to her. After that, I told her about everything. My parents kicking me out, the drugs, being paid for sex."

"She didn't take it well?"

"Nope. She hasn't said a word to me since. I think she might see me in a new way now."

"You told Red everything, didn't you?"

"I did."

"And what was her reaction?"

"She was understanding, she doesn't feel any differently about me."

"So what makes you think Deb does?"

"The way she looked at me. On our way home, she looked at me like I'm dirty, like I'm a piece of garbage or something."

Franky puts a hand on Allie's shoulder. "How can you be sure that's the look she gave? Could it have been confusion?

Maybe hearing all that came as a surprise to her. Don't just assume she thinks the worst of you. You know it was a lot for me to take in when you told me about everything."

"I know. I just can't help but feel like she thinks less of me now, like she's judging me. Why else won't she talk to me?"

There's a touch of sadness in her voice, Franky can tell she's hurt.

"Want me to talk to her?" Franky offers.

"What for?"

"To help her understand everything that happened is behind you now, you're not the same person, if that's what she's thinking."

"Thanks, but don't worry about it. I'll give her a bit of time and talk to her myself."

Not a minute later, Debbie walks down the stairs. She ignores Franky and Allie sitting on the couch and walks to the kitchen. She comes back with a glass of water, venturing upstairs again without a word. Her eyes fall on Allie, she looks away.

The way she looked at Allie just now doesn't sit well with Franky. She likes Deb, she cares for Deb. But now Deb has hurt Allie, her very best friend. Franky can't let that slide.

"Don't," Allie says.

It's too late. Franky is off the couch and up the stairs in an instant. She marches right to Debbie's room, sticking her foot in the door before she can close it.

"Not so fast, let me talk to you for a minute."

"About what?"

"You know what. What's with the silent treatment you're giving Allie?"

She doesn't respond. Franky crosses her arms, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"I don't know what to say to her. She told me some things about herself earlier. Do you know everything about her, everything she used to do?"

"Yeah, I know it all. I look passed it though. She's not that same person anymore. I think that's obvious, don't you?"

"I know she's not, but I can't imagine her doing all that. It feels, I don't know, wrong?"

"What's wrong is the way you're treating her and the way you're looking at her. She's not proud of her past, she thinks you're judging her for it, which doesn't help."

"I'm not judging her."

"You're not? The way you just looked at her downstairs says otherwise."

Deb shakes her head. "No, I'm not. Like I said, it's just hard for me to picture her doing what she told me. Taking drugs and… you know. I just can't see why she would do that. I know her parents kicked her out, but she didn't have any other options?"

"It wasn't exactly her choice to do what she did. She was being manipulated, Deb. That's why. The bitch who groomed her made Allie think she loved her, Allie did anything she asked her to. She used Allie as a way to make money, that's all.

She never actually cared about her. You don't know what that did to her, how hard Kaz worked to help Allie realize her worth as a person. All those years of being used really got to her."

"I didn't realize."

Franky continues. "I'm sure you didn't. But now she feels like you think less of her. She thinks you looked at her like she's dirty, like she's a piece of garbage. She said those words exactly. That hurts her, you know. You're someone she cares about, and that makes her feel worse."

Deb now has a look of guilt on her face.

"I didn't mean for that."

"So you don't see her any differently?"

"No."

"Think you should apologize to her? Tell her what you just told me?"

"Yeah."

"Good, now go."

Allie is still on the couch when Deb comes back. After taking a seat next to her, she speaks up. "I owe you an apology."

"It's okay. I don't expect everyone to understand how I used to live."

"It's not okay. I hope you know I don't think of you any differently than I did before."

"You don't? Tell me something, then. The way you looked at me, what were you thinking? Because to me, it was nothing good."

"I wasn't thinking anything bad. I'm sorry for making you think that. I was honestly just confused. I couldn't picture you doing all that you said, I didn't understand why. Now I know you didn't have much choice.

I'm sorry for making you feel like I was judging you. I wasn't, it was just hard to take in at first. I'm also sorry for hurting you. I wouldn't do it on purpose."

"Apology accepted, Deb."

Looking at her face, Allie can tell there's something Deb wants to ask.

"Do you have a question?"

"I have a couple."

"Ask away, I'll answer. I told your mom everything about me, I'll tell you too."

"What did she say when you told her?"

"She was understanding of it all. That was a relief."

"So how long did you live like you did?"

"Right around four years. I've been clean from drugs for two. Meeting Kaz brought an end to everything I was doing."

"Is that what you meant by her helping you when you needed it?"

Allie nods her head. "I got beaten up one night. I found my way to the shelter and she got me settled in and cleaned up. I was a mess when I met her. She helped get me sober the first time around too."

"First time?"

"I did relapse. Just once."

"That rough patch you went through?"

"Yeah."

"And your parents, why did they kick you out?"

"I told them I'm gay, and they weren't very big fans, to say the least. They were very devout to their religion and set in their beliefs, so that meant they couldn't accept me for who I am. My brother Eli reacted the same way they did."

"You didn't tell me you have a brother."

It's never really come up in their conversations.

"We weren't very close, honestly. I don't have much to say about him."

It's true, they didn't have much of a relationship. They had completely different personalities and interests. Allie was more outgoing, something of a social butterfly, she made friends with just about anybody.

Eli was more of an introverted person, preferring his own company to others, not going out of his way to make friends.

"How old were you when you told them?"

"About your age, I had just turned seventeen."

Deb is quiet for just a moment before thinking of her next question.

"How'd you know you were gay?"

"I thought you only had a couple of questions."

"I thought you said you'd answer them all," Deb fires back.

"You got me there. Well, I never had an interest in the boys at my school or dating them. I turned down each one that asked me out, I never knew why. But some of the girls in my classes, there was something different about them, I saw them in a different way.

It never occurred to me until I kissed my best friend on a dare, there was a reason I never wanted a boyfriend. I've been attracted to women ever since."

"I'm sorry telling your family didn't go well for you."

"It did hurt. But I've gotten over it. I've got Kaz and Franky, they're the people in my life I need that I can consider my family."

The next half hour passes in what feels like seconds. Allie answers all of the questions Debbie has about her past. She talks about everything that happened in her life from the age of seventeen to now. There's nothing about Allie she doesn't now know.

Debbie listens intently the whole time, Allie's life sure is an interesting one. She's a little surprised how despite all that life threw at her, Allie still turned out to be the wonderful person she is today.

"Was Franky too hard on you? I know she can come on a little strong. She's very protective of me if you couldn't tell."

Allie is curious about what Franky said to Deb.

"I see that she is. She wasn't too hard on me, she is kind of scary though."

"You got that right, she can be intimidating when she wants to be. But deep down, she's a big softy."

"I know, I saw how she is around Bridget. It's kind of cute."

After giving them time to talk, Franky comes back down and leans over the back of the couch, putting a hand on both of their heads.

"You guys back to being friends?"

"We never stopped," Deb replies.


	10. X

It's been three days, and the day Bea's been waiting for is here. She's finally ready to be released from the hospital.

The last seventy-two hours seem to have dragged on and she's been counting down the minutes. Her injuries have been healing well.

Her face is almost back to looking normal, the bruises starting to fade from the nasty black and blue to a lighter color.

Her injured lung seems to be looking good, according to the x-rays taken. Her doctor tells her it'll be back to normal function soon enough.

The broken ribs still cause her some sort of discomfort and pain with nearly every breath. In just another four to six weeks, they should be healed properly.

Her wrist, cheek, and jaw fracture pain is manageable with painkillers but still present. As far as fractured wrists go, hers could have been worse. She's due to be seen back in about a month to see how it's healing and hopefully get the cast taken off.

Bea will have to adapt to using just one hand for the time being, she's grateful that her non-dominant hand is the injured one.

Earlier this morning, she had her prescription for painkillers filled and she met with her doctor. He instructed her not to do any strenuous activity for a few more days, not that she plans to. She was cleared to return to work as well, provided she does no heavy lifting.

Bea finishes packing her small bag of personal belongings, and she's now waiting on Allie who of course has volunteered to drive her home from the hospital.

She also offered to drive Bea over to the impound lot later today where her car is being kept. Last week, it was considered an abandoned vehicle and towed from the bar she was supposed to pick Harry up from.

Allie shows up just before ten a.m. She's also looking much better, walking without crutches and only the slightest limp. Other than her still somewhat blackened eyes, one could hardly tell she's been in any kind of fight.

The other bruises marring her face are nearly faded. She's still her same cheerful self, her usual upbeat mood about her, a smirk on her face when she walks into the room.

It makes Bea smile when she sees her. The effect she seems to have on Bea, Allie's presence is enough to make her happy. It's not just Bea specifically, Allie seems to have that same effect on most.

"Hi, Bea."

"Hi."

Bea looks around Allie and towards the door, "Where's Deb at? I thought she said she was coming with you."

Bea was hoping to see her. It may have only been three days, but Bea missed her dearly. She's used to seeing her every day.

If she couldn't go this long, how will it be when Deb moves out on her own after she finishes school next year? She'll be living over four hours away in a bigger city attending her college classes, Bea doesn't know if she can come to terms with it.

As much as Bea doesn't want to admit it, Debbie is nearly an adult now, though she will always see her as her little girl.

Allie shrugs, "Good question. She left with Franky earlier this morning, said they had some errands to run. I don't know what that's all about, but Deb did say she'd be home by the time you get there."

"Oh, okay then. And speaking of Deb, she told me what happened a few days ago. I feel like I should apologize for how she acted towards you. She knows better than that, I didn't raise her to treat people that way. Especially friends of ours."

"It's all right, you don't have to apologize, she did plenty of that. I admit I was worried about what she thought of me, and I was kind of afraid maybe she wouldn't want to be around me anymore. I'm glad it worked out in the end."

"Me too. I still feel bad about how she reacted though."

"It's fine, really. No hard feelings on my end. What happened wasn't ideal and not the way I wanted her to find out about me, but there's not much I can do about that I guess.

It's actually nice that she knows everything about me now, I feel like I have nothing to hide. I'm just sorry she was there and had to see that, you know?"

"Don't be, it's not like you knew that would happen."

"That's true, but still."

Deb seeing anything from her other life certainly isn't what she wanted.

"Hey, this guy you ran into, do you think he'll be a problem?"

"Not if I can help it. I'm hoping that this was just a one-off, nothing from my past should come up again.

I hope you know that's not a common thing, I've never been approached by someone from my old life before. I'll do what I can to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, especially if you or Deb are with me."

"I'm not worried about me or Deb. I mean him being a problem for you. You don't think he'll try something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, would he try to hurt you or something else?"

"No, I doubt it. I'm pretty sure he's harmless. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't know where to find me. I plan on avoiding that store from now on, and he only knows my first name, barely anything more than that. I never told him much about myself."

"Good, that makes me feel better."

"What, were you worried about it?"

"I was, just a little. You told me it's happened before."

"It has, but that was a long time ago. You don't have to worry about it too much, I've got some fight in me you know. I can hold my own."

"I know you can. I just care about your safety."

"You do?"

"Of course I do."

Bea stands up from her bed, she stretches and takes a deep breath before wincing.

"Those cracked ribs still hurting you, I see," Allie observes.

"Yeah. They hurt like hell but I'll get over it. As long as I don't laugh or breathe too hard, I'm good. Plus, I have these little guys. They help," Bea picks up her prescription bottle, shaking the contents around.

Allie looks at the pills inside, remembering they were one of her first experiences with the fun, yet ugly world of narcotics. Prescription meds were her drug of choice before she was introduced to bigger and worse things. Cocaine first, then she made the jump to heroin.

She remembers the first time she used it, how invincible it made her feel. Heroin quickly became her number one friend, it gave Allie everything she felt she was missing back then.

She moves on from the memory, "What about your wrist, can you work with it all broken up?"

"I should be fine, I really only use one hand for cutting. Washing and coloring hair might be hard, but I'm sure I can manage."

"And your lung, how's that healing?"

"I won't be running marathons anytime soon, but it'll be back to normal in no time. I just have to take it easy for a couple of weeks or so."

"That's good. You look like you're starting to feel better."

"I feel like I am. You look better too, no crutches this time?"

"Don't need them anymore, thankfully. Well what do you say, are you ready to go?"

"So ready. I never want to set foot in another hospital again unless I'm actually dying."

"Amen to that," Allie walks out to the hallway, she comes back with a wheelchair and a grin on her face. "All right, let's roll. You see what I did there? Let's roll? You know, because of the-"

"Wheelchair. Yeah, I get it."

"Oh come on, that was funny and you know it."

"A real comedian you are. I'm not gonna need it though, I can walk just fine."

"I'm sure you can, but I don't make the rules. It's hospital policy."

"Is it though?"

"Dunno, but have you ever been in one of these things? They're pretty fun."

"That sounds tempting, but I'm good."

"Suit yourself. You're missing out, I'm telling you."

Bea doesn't talk much after they leave, other than letting Allie know the news she got of Harry's trial. She's busy thinking about how happy she is to be going home finally.

Who could have known when she left the house that Friday night, that would be the last time in almost ten days? Her mind is also stuck on getting all her affairs in order, selling the house and finding a new home. Getting back to work, moving on with life as she knows it.

On the drive home, Deb gives Bea a phone call letting her know she'll be there later than planned. When Bea presses her for information, Debbie simply replies that Franky needs her help with something, leaving it at that before hanging up.

"What do you think could Deb be helping Franky with?"

"Knowing Franky, something illegal."

"Really?"

"No, not really. I'm sure it's nothing. Do you want to get your car now instead?"

"I want to stop at my house first if that's okay. I could kill for a shower right about now."

A short drive later, with Bea's directions, Allie parks in front of the house. They exit the car, Allie following behind. Bea opens the front door, she's met with the sight of a clean house.

Clean isn't the right word, immaculate more like. It wasn't like this the last time she saw. She'll have to remember to thank Deb later on.

Allie takes a quick look around. She's never been here before, it's like she expected. Bea seems the type of person to keep a neat home, what she sees is proof.

She also looks at the pictures hanging on the walls. She notices the same thing Franky did just a few days ago, how uneasy Bea looked with Harry around.

There are only a handful of photos she looked genuinely happy with him. Their wedding day stands out.

A fairly standard wedding picture. Two young newlyweds, Harry in a sharp suit, Bea in a lovely white dress. Standing side by side, wearing wide smiles and holding hands tightly.

Bea looked beautiful. Looking a bit closer, Allie sees that Bea was in the early stages of pregnancy, the signs just barely noticeable under her dress.

Bea sets her things down on the couch and stands next to Allie after seeing her looking at the picture, "I was so happy that day. Our wedding was one of the best days of my life, until I had Deb."

She lets out a sigh, "You know something, Harry wasn't always so awful to me. At first, he was so loving and caring. He was never anything but kind to me."

Allie turns her attention from the photo to Bea's now pensive expression, "What changed?"

"I still ask myself that. I honestly think he's sick in the head. I don't think there's any way a sane person could do the things he's done to me or treated me the way he did. I don't know if he ever actually loved me.

It was about a year after Deb was born that I noticed the change in him, it was almost night and day. The man I fell in love with, the man I married, it's like he never existed.

It started with him not being as affectionate towards me. Then we started arguing over the smallest things, it's like he enjoyed picking fights. He would constantly question everything I did, he always had something negative to say.

Then he started saying some terrible things to me during those fights. He called me every name in the book. It went on like that for a while until after Deb was four, almost five. That's when he hit me for the first time."

She still remembers how it felt, the sting on her cheek from a hard slap. She remembers the mark it left behind and the time she spent the next morning covering it with make-up.

"He said it was a mistake, he didn't mean it. He promised it wouldn't happen again and I believed him. I believed him, and look where it got me. I should've done something sooner, I should've left after the first time."

"You don't need to worry about any of that now, Bea. Everything's all over and done with. That's what you should focus on."

"You're right, it is all over, only took fifteen years." There's something of a resentful undertone in her reply. It's not directed towards Allie, but the situation in general. "Why couldn't I just leave?" Bea asks herself more than anyone, even though she knows the answer. It still doesn't keep that question from floating around in her head.

"It wasn't as simple as just leaving, was it? You had Deb to worry about," Allie answers.

Allie knows getting out of such an abusive relationship, especially with children involved is no easy task. She's seen it before, and she's learned that by hearing stories from the women that have come and gone through the shelter.

"It wasn't simple," Bea agrees. "He threatened to take her away if I ever tried to leave him, I know he would've done it just to hurt me. And I knew how much she loved him.

I didn't think she would've forgiven me if I took her from him, he told me that all the time. I was afraid she might resent me for it. It's mostly why I stayed. Do you think I did the right thing by sticking around?"

"What do you think?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that."

"I don't think I can tell you if you did right. I think that's for you to decide," Allie responds truthfully.

She could give her own input but at the end of the day, it's up to Bea to come to that conclusion.

"What would you have done if you were me?"

"I really don't know."

"Sorry, I don't mean to drop a hard question on you."

"It's fine. I wish I could give you an answer."

"I have another question you might be able to."

"Okay, shoot."

"You've been working around the shelter with Kaz for a while now, right?"

"I have."

"So I'm sure you've seen women in my situation come in? Women with kids?"

"I've seen quite a few, yeah. Mostly younger kids, but some in their late teens too, around Deb's age. What do you want to know?"

"Do you know how the kids are affected? I'm wondering about Deb, do you think everything I went through can have an effect on her somehow?"

"I won't lie, it's possible."

"Even if Harry never did anything to her?"

"Yeah. Even if he never hit her, never yelled at her, she still saw what he did to you. So there's a chance it might impact her."

"Like how?"

"I'm no expert, I'm just going by what I've seen and what Kaz has told me she's seen. Problems with substance abuse, anxiety, depression are some of the main things.

Kids who have experienced abuse like that are also at a higher risk of harming themselves or even committing suicide."

Bea stiffens up at the mention of those last two things. She's hoping things won't come to that for Debbie. Imagining her in that situation kills Bea. The desperation Bea felt, the hopelessness, she wouldn't wish that on anybody, let alone her own child.

It's a subtle change in Bea's demeanor, Allie notices it. She looks to Bea's wrist, she knows what that faded scar running along it is likely from. It saddens her to think of Bea in that position.

She's wanted to ask about it, but unless Bea brings it up, she'll keep her mouth shut, it's really none of her business.

"Have you noticed anything with Deb?"

Bea isn't sure if she wants to know the answer, it doesn't keep her from asking the question.

"Other than the bad dream she had, no. I can't see what's going on inside her head though. You probably wouldn't know unless there's an obvious change." Allie sees how worried Bea seems to be. "I'm sorry to tell you all this, I hope you don't agonize over it too much. There's no guarantee any of those things will happen to her."

"No, it's fine. That's on me for asking. Can we change the subject? I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I get it. You don't have to talk about it."

Allie knows just how to change the subject, Debbie.

"That picture of you and Deb is my favorite."

She points to one higher on the wall. It's of Bea and Debbie at the beach, using pieces of seaweed as false mustaches, smiles spread from ear to ear. Bea wearing a swimsuit may also be a factor, not that Allie will say that out loud.

"It makes me happy to see how close you two are. I never had that with my mom. You look so happy together."

"We are. She's my entire world, it's almost disgusting how much I love her. But that picture, I never liked it much. I hate how my smile looks."

"You shouldn't. You have a beautiful smile."

"You think so?"

"Yep. It's obvious who Deb gets it from."

"Yours is better."

"Thanks. But we're not talking about me."

"I know. It's true though."

"Bea, I'm trying to compliment you here. You're not making it easy. You sure are bad at taking them."

"Thank you."

The sarcasm in her voice isn't lost on Allie.

"Smartass. You know, for someone who hates their smile, you sure do it a lot when I'm with you."

"No I don't," Bea says with a smirk.

"See? You just did it again. I'm starting to think you like having me around."

"I do. Who wouldn't like having you around?"

"More people than you think. There were a few who couldn't see past what I used to do, they weren't as understanding as you were. Even the ones I called friends," Allie frowns, an expression Bea's never seen on her face before. She doesn't like the sight.

"Well, those people don't know what they're missing. And if they couldn't see around your past and see what a good person you are, they weren't really your friends."

"No, I guess they weren't. So, you think I'm a good person?"

"I know you are. You've proven it many times."

"Thanks, I try to be. So just to be clear, you do like it when I'm around?"

Bea nods her head, "Absolutely. I wouldn't tell you that if I didn't."

"You say that, but just wait until you get to know me better. You'll be sick of me in no time."

"I really doubt that. I enjoy your company a lot, I don't think I could get tired of it. I mean it."

She's honest, Bea knows for a fact she can spend time with Allie for hours on end not be bored.

Allie smiles at her, "Aww, that makes me feel special."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How are you so happy all the time?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem like you're constantly in a good mood, always smiling. You might be the most positive person I've met."

"Oh, it's just for show, I'm actually miserable on the inside."

Bea rolls her eyes, "Be serious."

"A near-death experience will do that to you. I learned that life's short, and it can end just like that," Allie snaps her fingers for emphasis.

"I was lucky enough to get another chance, and I realized there's no point for me to be anything but positive. It's the only way I want to live."

"Huh."

"Not the answer you wanted?"

"Not that, I'm just thinking that's a good way to live."

Bea looks back at the wall of photos in front of them, "I need to take some new pictures. I want to replace the ones with Harry. I don't want to look at him anymore."

"How about we start now? Take one with me."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Allie pulls out her phone and opens up the camera. She wraps an arm around Bea's midsection, pulling her close, but also causing Bea to take a sharp intake of breath from the pain she feels.

"Shit, sorry."

Allie tries again, this time wrapping her arm around Bea's shoulder.

"You better smile."

Bea does, a genuine, bright smile. They take one more, at Allie's request.

"Funny faces this time."

Bea widens her eyes and sticks her tongue out. Allie crosses her eyes, puffing her cheeks out as far as she can.

"There you go, two new ones. I'll send them to you."

Feeling they've wasted enough time talking, Bea heads in the direction of her bedroom.

"Make yourself at home. I'll be quick."

Allie does just that, taking a seat in the recliner in the room, "No rush. You can take your time, I don't have anywhere to be."

"Thanks."

At that, Bea retreats to her room for an actual shower, one that doesn't consist of just dry shampoo and a wet cloth. She wasn't able to bathe properly in the hospital, due mainly to the chest tube put in to help reinflate her collapsed lung and concerns of her being a fall risk. Which sounded somewhat ridiculous to her, she's a grown woman.

She starts the shower to let it warm up then wraps a small trash bag around her cast. She puts a plastic drawstring bag over that, being sure to pull it tight. She learned the hard way from her broken ankle not long ago, when she didn't take the same precautions, that the only thing worse than a cast is a wet one. And the smell, just awful.

Bea undresses, taking time to look herself over in the mirror. She looks at her scars, some old, some new. Reminders of the things she's been through, the things she's survived. The scars she's more concerned with are the mental emotional ones. She wonders when they'll start to heal.

After stepping into the hot water, she stands still for a few minutes with her eyes closed, taking in the warmth. She washes her body with little difficulty. Attempting to wash her hair, Bea finds it to be much harder than expected with a cast covering her wrist.

She does manage to get shampoo into her good hand, it makes no difference. She can't raise her arm high enough to reach her hair without causing a great deal of pain to her midsection.

Cursing her injuries, she cuts her shower short. Her hair will have to wait. Or, she could enlist Allie for some help. Bea turns the water off before stepping out, going with the Allie option. Looking around her room, she's disappointed to see no towels on hand.

She has a thought to just get dressed but being soaking wet, there's really no point. Bea peeks her head out of her bedroom, making sure her body is shielded by the door.

"Hey, Allie?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here for a minute, would you?"

Allie makes her way over, raising an eyebrow at Bea standing behind the door with only her head visible.

"What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could get a big favor from you."

"I'm more of a small favor kind of person, sorry," she jokes.

"What if I ask nicely?"

"Depends. What do I get in return?"

"Knowing that you helped a friend in need."

"Good enough for me, what can I do for you?"

"If you don't mind, would you help me wash my hair? Just using one hand is too hard, and I can't pick my good arm up high enough. It hurts pretty damn bad if I try."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Awesome, I appreciate it."

Allie waits a moment, "You gonna open the door?"

"Another favor, bring me a towel? In the hall closet by the bathroom."

Allie finds what she's looking for and places the towel in Bea's outstretched hand. Bea closes the door then reopens it fully. Allie expects her to be wrapped in nothing but a towel, what she doesn't expect is how it makes her breath catch in her throat.

How if her jaw wasn't clenched, it would have fallen straight to the floor. Allie ignores how tightly the towel hugs Bea's figure. She ignores the fact that she's naked underneath.

She ignores how dry her mouth feels and walks into the room, following Bea to the bathroom. She keeps her eyes firmly planted on the back of Bea's head.

"So, how do you want to do this?"

Bea looks around the room. "I didn't think this through, did I?"

She didn't. The sink is much too small to get her head under the faucet. There's no tub for her to lean over, with the shower being a walk-in.

With Bea not able to raise her arms, it seems the only way this will work is for Allie to get in with her. Bea isn't sure how to feel about that. Modesty isn't her concern, she's comfortable enough. Plus, Allie has seen her less than decent twice already.

Just now, and that night at the club. When she was being checked over in the ambulance, the paramedics had to cut her clothes off to get a better look at her injuries.

She just thinks maybe this is too big of an ask. Waiting for Debbie to help her may have been the better option.

Allie isn't sure how to feel either, but Bea asked for her help, and she'll provide it.

_It's no big deal, you're helping a friend, that's all, _She tells herself. _So what if you're about to shower with her? And so what if she's hot? So hot._

"I'll just have to get in with you."

"Are you sure? I could ask Deb to help me later," replies Bea.

She's not totally sure Allie is comfortable with the situation at hand.

"I don't mind."

Allie takes her shoes and socks off, erasing any doubt from Bea's mind.

"And I don't see another way for this to work. We made it this far, might as well follow through. Is that okay with you?"

"Fine by me. What about your clothes, you'll get soaked."

"Who said anything about clothes?"

Bea looks at her strangely. Not passing up an opportunity to make a joke, Allie grabs her shirt by the hem, moving to take it off. She lifts it just about halfway up her stomach before Bea stops her.

"Wait, you're serious?"

Allie smirks at her reaction then pulls her shirt back down. "I'm kidding. It's just water, it'll dry."

Bea shakes her head, she should expect jokes like that from Allie. "Right."

Bea turns around and moves closer to the shower. Before Allie has time to ask if she'd rather keep it on, she unwraps her towel, hanging it on a hook before getting back in and starting the water.

Allie turns her head to look in the opposite direction, catching an accidental glimpse of Bea's naked form in the mirror.

It's quick, and just a side profile, but long enough for Allie to notice a flat stomach and toned arms, showing that Bea seems to work out frequently.

Just when Allie thinks Bea can't get any more attractive to her than she already is, she has to go and strip down right in front of her.

After feeling a sudden spark of curiosity, and maybe a touch of envy at Bea's fitness, Allie looks at her own body in the mirror. She flexes a bicep, feeling impressed by the definition she sees.

Thanks largely to carrying heavy trays full of drinks, stacking cases of beer and wine at the bar. She lifts up her shirt, poking her stomach a few times before frowning some, it's not as flat and softer than she would've liked it to be.

It's probably about time to put the gym membership Franky got her to sign up for to good use. She's not extremely out of shape, but a bit of exercise never hurt anyone.

Bea laughs, getting Allie's attention.

"Are you checking yourself out?"

Allie keeps her eyes out of the mirror and down at the bathroom sink, just in case.

"Just a little, I'm not exactly in the best shape of my life. How long were you watching me?"

"Long enough. You look like you're in good shape to me."

"Thanks. I'm nowhere near you though, what do I need to do to get my body to look like yours?"

_I probably shouldn't have said that._

"You snuck a peek at me?"

"No, I promise," Allie defends herself. "You took your towel off before I had a chance to look away, I accidentally saw you in the mirror."

"Accidentally on purpose, you mean?"

"Wha- no, I swear."

"I'm joking. And sorry about that, I'm so used to being around Deb without clothes on, it's like second nature."

"It's fine. Are you ready?"

"I think so. Here."

Bea reaches a hand out, passing the shampoo to Allie. Allie rolls up her pant legs before she steps in behind Bea, once again keeping her eyes glued to the back of Bea's head. The urge to look lower is almost overwhelming, Allie resists, it doesn't feel like the right thing to do.

Bea moves into the water, wetting her hair again before stepping back, much too far for the close quarters they're in. Allie puts a hand on her shoulder before she backs into her, making Bea jump slightly.

"Sorry, move forward a bit. I don't have a lot of room back here."

_Too close_, Allie thinks.

Allie pours some shampoo into her hands, lavender by the scent of it. She lathers it up before working her fingers through Bea's scalp. While doing so, Bea makes a few noises that are not unlike the sounds of pleasure. Completely innocent, ones to be expected with a head massage. They do Allie no favors, however, and her mind goes to the gutter almost immediately.

Wondering what other situations she could cause Bea to moan like that with the use of her fingers. It doesn't help that this very beautiful and very naked woman is standing just steps away, close enough for Allie to touch her.

The shower is cramped, barely enough space for two. Even with Allie backed nearly all the way to the wall, Bea is still close for comfort.

"So this is what it's like," Bea says, pulling Allie from her thoughts.

"What?"

"I'm usually the one washing other people's hair, it feels good to be on the other end."

Allie nods, not that Bea can see. She finishes the task at hand, feeling the shampoo is sufficiently spread.

"I'm done here. Ready to rinse?"

Bea steps forward, with Allie helping, she rinses her hair out completely.

Next up, conditioner. The bottle falls out of Bea's hands before she can get it to Allie. While trying to catch it, she slips and stumbles backward.

On instinct, Allie grabs her by the waist, the only place she could reach to keep Bea steady, taking her hands off right away once she realizes. It was either that or let Bea fall.

The outcome not playing out well. She could have hurt herself or taken Allie down with her, not the ideal situation to be in.

"You good, Bea?"

"Yeah."

This time, Bea successfully gives Allie the bottle of conditioner. By the time she's done helping Bea, Allie's a mess. She can't help it. Another bout of Bea making those same noises combined with the feeling of Bea's body when she grabbed her has Allie feeling that familiar feeling. Heart pounding in her chest, her cheeks flushed.

She's glad Bea can't see her right now. One look, she'd see hot and bothered plastered all over Allie's face.

_This woman is going to be the death of me._

"Thanks for doing this, Allie."

"No problem. I can say I've never washed another person's hair before," Allie says back, her voice thankfully steady.

"And I can say I've never had another woman in my shower before."

Allie chuckles at that, "Here's to firsts."

"Did you stay dry?"

"Surprisingly. My shirt got the worst of it."

Bea turns her head to see for herself, before turning back immediately. Allie is wearing a white shirt that's soaked through, clinging to her body like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. The bra underneath showing clear as day.

"You can borrow one of mine."

Bea feels the urge to look over her shoulder once again. This time, she doesn't turn back right away, seeing Allie in the process of removing her shirt and wringing out some of the water. Her eyes end up drifting to Allie's chest. They linger longer than necessary.

She can't bring herself to look away from Allie's body. She turns her head back around, not wanting to be noticed, but not before Allie looks up, catching her eyes.

"Now who's sneaking peeks?"

Bea doesn't respond to that. Her face feels hot, she's just been caught staring, and called out for it. She's not sure what to do now, apologize? Pretend like she wasn't just ogling? This is a situation she's never found herself in before.

Allie doesn't press the issue.

"Need anything else from me?"

"No, I can take care of the rest."

Allie steps out of the shower and hangs her shirt over a towel rack before leaving the bathroom. She takes a shirt from Bea's closet then returns to the living room.

With the way she saw Bea looking at her, Allie finds herself thinking, what if Franky was onto something after all? She's not blind, she saw exactly where Bea's eyes were pointed and how long they lingered.

She just looked her up and down. Seeing this only puts more weight behind what Franky said. Is there really an attraction there? She still doesn't want to assume, but she'd be a liar if she said she doesn't have a small feeling of hope that's the case.

Once Allie leaves, Bea stays in the shower for another twenty minutes or so, until the water runs cold. She's lost in her thoughts.

When Allie touched her shoulder, Bea felt something. When Allie put hands on her body to keep her from falling, Bea felt something.

It's hard for her to explain, but Allie touching her bare skin is a new sensation entirely. A sensation she doesn't dislike.

Seeing Allie standing there halfway undressed, looking so pretty as she always is, the image is also stuck in her head.

She feels a strange feeling in her stomach. Not butterflies, something else, she's not exactly sure what.

_What is happening to me?_


	11. XI

Bea finishes up in the shower, she wraps a towel around herself then removes the bags from her cast, happy to find that it stayed dry. She then blow-dries and brushes her hair.

She exits the bathroom and heads for her closet to put on a fresh change of clothes. She decides on a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a light jacket on top of that.

_I might as well be comfortable. _

She almost doesn't want to leave her bedroom and see Allie, considering what just happened with her. She's not sure how to face her again.

She tells herself she's probably just overthinking the situation. And if Allie didn't make a big deal out of it, why should she? She works up the courage to leave.

When she tries to open the door, somebody pulls it shut from the other side. She tries to open it again, getting the same result.

"What the hell? Allie, is that you out there?"

"Yeah, it's me. Um, don't come out yet."

"Why not? What's going on?"

"Just don't. You'll see in a minute."

Bea considers just forcing the door open. As if Allie can read her thoughts, Bea hears what she assumes is Allie tightening her grip on the door handle. That assumption is proven by how much harder it is for Bea to turn it.

She sighs then releases the handle, it's clear Allie won't let her leave the room for whatever reason.

"I hope there's a good reason for you to keep me locked in my room."

"There is, I promise."

"Can you at least give me a hint?"

"No, you'll have to wait and see."

After five long minutes, Allie finally opens the door. Bea steps forward, Allie does the same to keep her from coming out.

"Hold up, close your eyes."

"What for?"

"You ask too many questions. Just do it, please?"

Bea looks at her suspiciously before doing as she's told. "Fine."

"Thank you, now keep them shut."

For good measure, Allie steps behind her and covers Bea's eyes with her hands. She leads her down the hallway towards the front of the house.

Bea's mind is racing, trying to figure out what's going to be waiting for her when she opens her eyes. Allie stops her from walking further, she takes her hands away from Bea's eyes.

"Open your eyes when you're ready."

The first thing Bea sees when she opens her eyes is Deb, which makes her happy. The next thing she sees makes her even happier, decorations all over the house.

She looks around the living room, a large welcome home banner stretching from wall to wall with streamers and balloons hanging as well.

In the kitchen, more balloons and streamers, and a bouquet of white roses, one of Bea's favorite flowers, on the table. It's also covered with plates of several different types of breakfast foods.

From what Bea can see, pancakes, waffles, french toast along with eggs, bacon, and sausage. A pitcher of orange juice and a fresh pot of coffee to top it off.

Seeing all this makes Bea misty-eyed, she didn't expect this one bit. It's a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. She doesn't remember the last time she was surprised by something so nice.

"You guys, all this for me? Thank you so much."

Debbie walks over to pull Bea into a hug, being careful not to squeeze her torso too hard. "Welcome home. Please don't cry."

Bea kisses the top of her head. "Sorry, I can't help it. This was a nice surprise. Was this your idea?"

"Franky helped. But yeah, it was my idea. I wanted to do something special for your first day home."

"Well, thank you. But all this food," Bea waves a hand towards the table. "It's a little overkill, don't you think?"

"You can blame me for that." Franky walks into the house, kicking the door shut behind her and placing a large bowl of fruit and a box of pastries on the already full table.

"Welcome home, Red. I may have gone a little overboard, but Deb couldn't decide what you might want for breakfast. So I made a few things, I figured why not give you some options?"

"You made all this?"

"Sure did."

"You're in for a treat, Bea. Franky makes her pancake and waffle batter from scratch. It's really good."

"Can't wait. Thanks, Franky. You didn't have to go to the trouble though."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. And it was no trouble at all."

"This is what I was helping her with when I called you earlier," Deb chimes in.

"Yeah, your daughter and I slaved for hours, so you damn sure better be hungry."

"You won't have to worry about that, I'm starving. It'll be nice to not have hospital food for a change."

Bea turns to face Allie. "Were you in on this surprise too?"

"No, I had no clue until they got here."

"We didn't let you in on it until then because you're bad at keeping surprises a secret," Franky replies as she pours herself a cup of coffee. She pulls a chair out from the table, sitting down and waving Bea over.

"Am not," Allie denies.

"You so are. Did you forget about ruining my birthday surprise last year?"

"What did you expect? You literally asked me, 'are you throwing a surprise party for me?'"

"I think you're supposed to lie."

"Oh, who asked you, Bea?"

Allie follows Bea over to the table and sits to the right of Franky, directly across from Bea.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

Deb is the last to sit down, she takes the spot at the head of the table to Bea's left.

"All right, Mom. What would you like?"

"With all this food, I might as well have one of everything."

"Coming right up."

Breakfast is wonderful. Bea is no slouch in the kitchen herself, but Franky, Bea thinks she's in a new league entirely.

Allie was right about her being in for a treat. Bea can't remember the last time she's eaten this much in one sitting. It's slow going, she can only chew on the left side of her mouth without pain.

She can't remember the last time she's heard so much laughter at the breakfast table. She's paying for it, her ribs are in agony, though she doesn't want this morning to end.

If she could start every day like this, Bea feels like she could die a happy woman. Maybe an exaggeration, but it's the first thought that pops into her head.

Sitting around the table, Bea realizes something. These two new people sitting with her, laughing with her, they're now on her list favorite people.

She feels so lucky to have met Allie and Franky both. They haven't known each other long, but it feels like they've been friends for years. As far as she remembers, she's never made such quick friends before.

She feels something cold and wet hit her nose. She looks down at the table, a piece of pineapple. She looks back up, Allie is immediately outed as the culprit when Franky and Deb point their fingers at her.

She glares at them both then addresses Bea directly. "I didn't know how else to get your attention. What are you thinking about so hard over there?"

"Promise you won't make fun of me?"

"Sure."

"I was just thinking about how happy I am that I met you. And you too, Franky. You both have been so great to me and Deb. You've also done quite a bit for us, and that means a lot to me. I hope you two know I appreciate you very much."

It warms Allie's heart to hear that.

"Red, you big sap, are you trying to make me cry?" Franky mocks fanning tears away.

Bea laughs. "Didn't mean to get so sentimental on you."

Bea throws the pineapple back at Allie, she ducks out of the way just in time. Bea quickly grabs a grape off of her plate and throws that as well.

It hits her intended target, square between Allie's eyes, making her blink a few times. Allie throws the grape back, she misses completely. Bea sees it coming.

Bea takes note of the look that makes its way onto Allie's face, something of a mischievous glint in her eyes. She follows her gaze to the container of whipped cream in the center of the table, right between the two of them.

"Don't even think about it," Bea warns.

"Don't even think about what? I'm not going to do anything."

Allie tries and fails at playing innocent.

"Then why are you moving your hand closer?"

"I'm not."

"Allie, I'm watching your hand move as we speak."

"Why don't you stop me?"

Bea does just that, she grabs Allie's wrist to stop her hand from moving any further, frowning when Allie waves with her free hand.

Just before Allie can grab the spoon that's resting inside, Franky reaches forward and snatches it up. She flings a sizable glob of whipped cream, it lands on Bea's cheek.

"Hand slipped. My bad."

Allie points mockingly at Bea. "That's what you get."

"Is that so?"

Bea wipes her cheek with her good hand. She extends her arm before Allie can react then flicks her fingers, splattering Allie in the face.

Silence. Followed by even more laughter.

Not wanting to miss out, Deb makes the next move. She takes two pieces of fruit, throwing them at Bea and Allie both.

"Oh, it's on now."

Allie wrestles the spoon from Franky. She flicks it in Deb's direction, the remaining whipped cream flying off and hitting her, making a mess of her shirt. After that, various fruits are thrown around the room between Allie, Bea, and Deb mostly. A sticky mess awaits them, but it was worth it for that moment of entertainment.

Allie dips the spoon back into the container and turns her attention to Franky, who so far has been left unscathed. Franky sees what's about to happen, she stands from the table to put some distance between her and Allie, grabbing a handful of strawberries to defend herself.

Allie stands as well. "Come here, Franky."

"No, I don't think I will. I'm good right where I'm at, thanks."

"Don't be like that, it's only fair you get some too since you started it."

"It's only fair," Debbie and Bea confirm.

"See? They agree with me."

"I'd like to see you try it, Allie. I'll kick your scrawny ass all over this kitchen."

"Scrawny? You're skinnier than me."

"Ha, you realize you just insulted yourself."

"Shut up. Besides, it's three on one. With their help, you can't stop this from happening."

"Pssh. First of all, I know I can take you, Allie."

"That's what you think. I'm tougher than I look. Tell her, Bea, you've seen me fight, I'm damn good at it."

"I haven't really though. Honestly, the only thing I saw was you getting hit a couple of times."

"Second of all," Franky steers the conversation back. "Look at Deb, it looks like she's more interested in eating that danish than getting involved."

"Mm-hmm," Deb responds in place of words, her mouth full of said danish.

"And third of all, the only one I'm worried about being a challenge is Red, and she's not a hundred percent right now. I'd say my chances are pretty good."

"Don't worry about me, I may be hurt, but I can still help Allie out."

"I'm sure you can, but I don't want to hurt you any worse than you are if I put up a fight."

"I can handle it. Unless you're scared?" Bea taunts, knowing full well that Franky isn't likely to back down if she's challenged.

"I'm not scared."

"You sure?"

Bea stands up from her chair. Allie moves towards Franky, getting pelted with a strawberry as soon as she takes a step. She throws another, this time at Bea when she sees her closing the distance between them.

Bea and Allie take turns moving closer, keeping Franky's attention divided. Deb sits back and watches in amusement. Seeing Bea so carefree and having fun brings a smile to her face.

Franky eventually runs out of strawberries, throwing her remaining handful when Bea gets too close for her liking. Allie takes this as a sign to be more aggressive.

She rushes forward, swiping at Franky with the spoon, just barely missing her. Allie follows as Franky keeps shuffling backwards.

She takes another big step back from Allie, not noticing that Bea has quickly gotten right behind her, an arm outstretched to grab her by the shoulder.

With Bea so close, and her attention now being focused on Allie, Franky accidentally backs into her.

Her elbow jabs Bea in the stomach, just under her ribcage. It's not hard enough to do any damage, but hard enough to take her breath away.

Bea clutches her stomach and doubles over. Struggling to get a breath in, she sinks down to a squat then sits on the floor.

"That hurt."

"Fuck, Red, are you okay? I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, I'm good. It's not your fault, that's what I get for messing around. I just need to catch my breath."

Franky takes a knee next to her, wearing concern on her face. "Are you sure you're okay? I didn't break something, did I?"

"Nothing that wasn't broken already. I'm fine, I promise."

"Good, I would feel awful if I sent you back to the hospital the day you got out."

Franky stands and offers her hand to pull Bea to her feet. Bea grabs a hold of it and looks Franky in the eye, flashing a grin.

"Got you."

"What the-"

Before she can finish her sentence, Bea pulls Franky towards herself as hard as she can. Franky stumbles forward and trips, over her own feet or Bea, she doesn't know.

By the time she can figure it out, she's flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling with Bea pinning her down.

"Allie, get her!"

Allie wastes no time and rushes over. She takes Bea's place, straddling Franky, the spoonful of whipped cream held tightly in one of her hands.

"Bea, you absolute genius. That was awesome."

"Awesome? A dirty trick is what that was. Red, you asshole, I thought I hurt you. Do you know how bad I felt just now?"

"Believe me, the pain was real. But I couldn't pass that chance up, sorry."

Franky sighs, accepting her fate. She looks back up at Allie. "I'll remember this. You better watch your back, I'll get my revenge."

"I'm not worried, I can have Bea protect me from you. She can take you, she just kicked your ass, all over this kitchen. Wasn't that what you said you were gonna do to me? Remind me not to get on your bad side, Bea."

"She caught me off guard. If this was a real fight, she'd be the one on the floor."

"But this isn't, and she's not. Admit it, she got you good."

"Fine, she bested me. Now enough talk, get it over with."

Franky closes her eyes, waiting for Allie to do what she set out to.

"Don't have to ask me twice."

Allie makes a big show of slowly lowering the spoon towards Franky's face, drawing it out as long as possible. Before she reaches her face, she wipes some of the contents of the spoon onto a finger, putting a small amount on Franky's nose.

"That's it?"

"Yeah, what did you expect?"

"I figured you'd get it all over my face just to be a jerk."

"Oh, you mean like this?"

Allie wipes the spoon into her hand and places her palm on Franky's face. She smears the whipped cream from her forehead all the way to her chin in one downward motion, getting some in her hair too.

She gives Franky two playful slaps on her cheek then stands up and walks away. She washes her hands off in the sink then comes back with a wet rag and unceremoniously drops it on Franky's chest.

"Clean yourself up."

"You'd be an awful nurse, you know. Your bedside manner sucks."

Allie laughs then walks away again, joining Deb in cleaning up the mess they made.

Franky sits upright, cleaning what whipped cream she can from her face and hair. She looks over at Bea, who hasn't moved an inch from where she's sitting on the floor since Allie came over.

She's clearly in some sort of discomfort, her clenched jaw and tense posture being obvious signs.

"Shit. You're hurting pretty badly, aren't you? Taking my elbow to your gut didn't feel all that great, did it?"

Bea shakes her head. "No, that didn't feel good at all. It was worth it though, that was fun. But I'm paying for it now."

"You look like it. Do you have any pain meds?"

"Yeah."

"Want me to get them for you?"

"Sure, if you would."

"Where are they at?"

"Last I checked, my bag on the couch."

Franky gets to her feet, heading into the living room. She finds Bea's medication where she said it'd be. She hands Bea the bottle then fills a glass of water for her.

Deb makes her way over after seeing Franky give Bea her prescription.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just in a little bit of pain."

"You think wrestling with Franky might have something to do with that? You should be more careful, didn't your doctor tell you to take it easy? I'm pretty sure messing around with her doesn't help with your recovery."

"You're right. It probably doesn't, but Allie needed my help. Do I hear you trying to scold me? You know I'm supposed to be the one who does that. I'm the parent."

"And yet, here I am scolding you."

"Who gave you such a smart mouth?"

"Who do you think?"

Deb leaves Bea's side to help Allie finish cleaning. Franky tosses the rag she was using into the sink. She walks over to Bea, offering her a hand.

"All right, up and at 'em. No funny business this time?"

"Not this time."

Bea takes her hand, Franky helps pull her to her feet.

Franky also offers to check Bea over just in case, to, quote "Make sure I didn't actually fuck something up. I may not be a hotshot doctor, but I know the basics at least."

"I think I'm fine, but if you want to, go ahead."

"Meet me on the couch, I'll get what I need out of my car."

"You keep supplies in your car?"

"It pays to be prepared."

Franky makes her way out to her car. She grabs a stethoscope she keeps in her emergency bag, wanting to listen to Bea's breathing. She also grabs an ice pack to put in the freezer for Bea to use later.

She goes back inside the house, finding Bea waiting for her on the couch. Franky sits next to her, Bea turns away from her to let Franky do her thing.

"I'm guessing you know the drill, lift your shirt a bit."

Bea takes her jacket off then lifts the back of her shirt to give Franky access. Franky scans the bruising still present on her sides and back, she's shocked at the amount.

Looking lower, she sees a group of small, circular scars on Bea's low back, slightly raised from the skin. To Franky, they look fairly fresh, not more than a year old.

"Don't mind the scars."

She can't see her, but Bea can tell they're exactly what Franky is looking at.

"Are those…"

"They're cigarette burns."

"He burned you?"

"Yeah. He thought that was a good way to put them out."

"Fuck. Sorry."

"Don't be. You're not the one who did it."

"I know that. Look, I'm sure the last thing you probably want is pity, but I really am sorry. No one should have to put up with being treated how you were. You deserved better than that."

The more Franky learns about this man she's never met, the more her distaste for him grows.

Bea isn't quite sure how to respond.

"I…"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. All right, take some breaths, let me listen." Franky focuses on her task, wanting to move on from the subject of less than pleasant things.

Bea stops herself from tearing up at Franky's words.

Franky presses the stethoscope to Bea's skin at different points on her back and chest, taking her time listening for anything off.

She can't resist joking about usually having to buy women dinner first before putting hands up their shirt. She finishes up, finding no issues.

"It all sounds good, I didn't hear anything off. If you notice more pain than usual or if you have a hard time breathing, get yourself to the doctor. I mean it."

"I promise I will. Who knew you cared about my well-being so much?"

"That's something you'll learn about me. I care for my friends. I'm also very protective of them. Allie especially."

There's a hidden meaning in her words that Bea picks up on.

"So what you're saying is, if I do her any wrong, I'll be answering to you."

"Not that I think you would, but yeah."

"Good to know."

After cleaning up from their impromptu food fight, Deb begins cleaning off the table. Allie steps in too, clearing plates and getting started on washing dishes despite Bea coming in to protest and offering to take over.

She all but pushes Bea out of the kitchen, directing her towards the living room.

"Don't come back in until we're done."

"Or what? This is my kitchen, you know."

Allie doesn't reply, she instead picks up a dish towel and starts winding it up. Bea doesn't react, she moves a step closer. This time she whips the towel in Bea's direction, hitting nothing but open air.

She winds it up for another swing, Bea takes the hint, putting her hands up in submission and backing away. Bea walks back over to the couch, sitting down next to Franky again.

"It looks like little Deb is a quick learner."

Franky points to the kitchen, where Allie has just taught Debbie how to fashion a whip from the towel she was just using. Deb knocks an empty bottle off of the counter with it, getting a high-five from Allie in return.

"She'll regret teaching her that."

"How come?"

"Just watch."

No sooner than Bea says it, Deb turns on Allie. She waits for Allie to turn her back then whips the towel, hitting the back of her arm, just above her elbow.

"Deb!" Allie gasps, turning around to face her with narrowed eyes.

Deb winds up to hit her again, just missing when Allie jumps back away. Allie moves backwards across the kitchen to the sink, Deb follows, stopping in her tracks when Allie threatens her with the sprayer.

"Do it. I dare you."

Debbie drops her hand holding the towel, letting it hang at her side, effectively calling a truce. She and Allie go back to cleaning.

"Great, she'll be hitting me all the time now. I guess there's worse things Allie could be teaching her."

"That's true. They're two peas in a pod, aren't they?"

"Seems like it. I'm happy that they get along so well. By the way, thank you for setting Debbie straight with Allie."

"Yeah, no problem. I'm glad Deb was understanding of things with Allie after I talked to her. Not a lot of people are."

"That's what Allie said. I still find that hard to believe.

But if those people couldn't see the good in her, I'd say that's their loss."

"True that. I also wanna say thanks for not seeing Allie any differently, and not treating her any differently.

You don't know how many people have gone running when they learn about that chapter in her life."

"I'll admit I was surprised to hear it all, but I've never been one to judge. And I don't think I'm in a place to judge her either.

I've done shit that I'm not proud of in my life. So you know everything about her? When did she tell you?"

"Not long after we met. Anytime I asked her questions about her life, her family and all that, she'd give me short, vague answers.

I knew there was something more to what she was telling me, but I didn't want to press the issue. She came to me one day, she said she wanted to tell me some things.

She said she felt bad for lying about her life and she wanted to lay it all out for me. You should've seen how nervous she was. I was the first person other than Kaz and Em…"

Franky stops herself, not sure if Bea is privy to that information yet.

"Allie told me about her. That's awful, what happened to her."

"It sure is. So yeah, I was the first person other than them that she told. I told her not to worry about it, she didn't have to tell me anything she didn't want to but she insisted."

"How was it for you, finding everything out?"

"I was definitely shocked at first. You wouldn't expect her to have gone through all she has.

But I found myself in the same boat as you, it would have been wrong of me to look down on her. I've done some questionable things in my life too."

"You have?"

"You sound surprised. Believe it or not, I'm no saint."

"What have you done?"

"Well..."

"Too personal of a question? I get it."

"No, I just don't talk about it much. But, since I like you, I'll give you one guess."

"I don't know, steal candy from a baby?"

"Wrong, that's too hardcore, even for me. Looks like you'll never know."

"Wait, give me one more."

"Fine, just one."

Bea takes her time, making a real effort at guessing what it is that Franky's not proud of. She looks at Franky, not exactly sure what she's trying to find. Franky feels a little uncomfortable under Bea's gaze.

Something stands out to Bea, Franky's tattoos. Bea notices a difference in quality.

Some look professionally done, but a couple look like they were done by an amateur artist. Like something one would get in a place with limited access to high-quality tattooing equipment.

"Hm. Judging by some of your tattoos, did you get them in prison?"

"Ding ding. Okay, that was a damn good guess. Since you made it this far, time for the bonus round. Name the crime.

I'll give you ten seconds, guess as much as you want."

"Drug smuggling?"

"No."

"Shoplifting?"

"No."

"Arson?"

"Hell no. I hate fire."

"A chef who hates fire?"

"Chef in training. It's more common than you'd think. Time's up."

"Were any of my guesses close?"

"Not very."

"I'll never know, will I?"

"You know what, I'll tell you. You're not one to judge, right? About six years ago, I did time for assault."

"Sounds serious, what happened?"

"Long story short, I was a real dick to people when I was a little younger. I had some anger issues that my therapist said stemmed from my childhood and I lashed out at people a lot.

One time I took it too far. Somebody provoked me, and I know that's not a good excuse for what I did, but it's what happened. I was never a violent person, but I just kind of snapped, you know?

I did something to this person that earned me an assault charge and a free ride to prison. You know Wentworth? That's where I ended up.

I was supposed to do five years there. But I had a good lawyer and a clean record prior to that, it got knocked down to three. I was released on parole about a year early, thankfully.

I got the help I needed with my problems after I got out of there, I made amends with the person I hurt, and I'm a better person for it now. There it is, my biggest regret and the thing I'm least proud of in my life. Now you know all my secrets."

"Wow."

"Not what you expected, huh?"

"No, that's not what I expected. But thanks for telling me. Can I ask what prison was like?"

"Sure. Where I was, it was a fucking madhouse, I don't recommend getting locked up. You wouldn't believe the type of shit that went on in there. Corrupt officers, drugs being brought in, riots, stabbings, you name it. Speaking of stabbings, check this out."

Franky turns her left hand palm-side up, showing a small scar running from her thumb to pinky.

"Fuck, somebody stabbed you?"

"Yeah. It was some psycho who thought I stole from her. She was high as a kite, she cornered me in the showers."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, I didn't have to. She slipped and fell on the wet floor and I ran out, luckily a guard was just coming around the corner."

"Holy shit."

"Right? Other than that little incident, I managed to stay out of any chaos that happened. I made some friends and I just kept my head down, served my time."

They fall silent. Bea didn't expect Franky to be the type to hurt other people. Then again, neither did Harry.

But she stays true to her word, she won't judge Franky for her past. Everyone makes mistakes, and it seems to Bea that Franky had the decency to own up for those mistakes, a quality she can admire in a person.

"Red?"

"Yeah? You can call me by my actual name you know."

"Okay, Bea."

Franky thinks about it for a moment, shaking her head. "Nope, it doesn't sound right, I don't like it."

"It does sound weird. Red it is, then."

"Anyway, now that I have your attention... this might sound random and I'm sure you've heard it before, but I want to tell you you've raised yourself an awesome kid. I bet she's gonna do great things some day."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just thought you'd like to know, you're a good parent."

"Thanks. That makes me glad to hear. If I'm honest though, sometimes I feel like I'm not the best mom I could've been.

Sometimes I think I did the wrong thing, all the shit with Harry, letting her be around it for so long."

"Hey. I don't know a lot about the situation and I can't imagine what things were like for you, but it seems to me that you did what you could with the circumstances. Deb hasn't told me much, but she did say everything you did, it was for her.

And believe me, you've done a great job with her. I know a thing or two about bad moms, and that's the last thing you are."

"Allie was right, you are a big softy."

Franky pushes Bea by her shoulder. "I have my moments. And you're one to talk, Miss 'I'm so happy I got to meet you,'" she imitates what Bea said earlier, all in good fun.

"Oh, that. Was it too mushy?"

"Nah. It made me happy to hear, Allie too I'm sure. I'm glad you like me so much."

"You're all right."

"Dick."

"Tell me something."

"About?"

"Allie. You've known her for a long time. I don't get it, how is she so helpful and kind to people all the time? Has she always been like that?"

"Yeah, it's in her nature, I think. Ever since I've known her, she's been like that. She's always put everyone else before herself. She's helped me a lot over the years. I can say she's the best friend I've ever had."

"I think I might be able to say the same. I don't think I've met someone who's so willing to help other people. She's nice."

"She is. If you tell anybody this, I'll deny it, but I love her like a sister."

"What are you two talking about in here?" Allie walks into the living room, joining Bea and Franky on the couch. "I heard my name a couple of times. Let me guess, you're talking about what a wonderful person I am? Or are you saying mean things about me?"

"I was telling Red all my secrets, my stay in the big house. You know, the usual. And we were talking about you, the second one. Red here was saying some awful things about you. I defended you, of course."

"Actually, Franky was just telling me how much she loves you," Bea blurts out, getting a light punch on her leg from Franky in return.

"I was not."

"She said she'd deny it if I told anyone."

"That's the last time I tell you any secrets, Red."

"She loves me like a sister, yeah, I already knew that."

"You did? How'd you know?"

"You probably don't remember, you were extremely drunk when you told me. You called me at about two in the morning to tell me.

"I did?"

"Uh-huh, it went something like, 'Allie, I gotta tell you something. You're my best friend and I love you, you know. Actually, you're not my friend. You're my sister. We might not be blood, but I love you like you are,'" Allie slurs her words to give the impression of a drunk Franky.

"What was that? Is supposed to be your impression of me when I'm drunk?"

"Yeah, you sound just like that."

"I fucking do not."

"You do. Just ask Bridget, she'll say the same." Allie wraps both arms around Franky, pulling her into a hug. She tightens her grip when Franky tries to squirm away. "And I hope you know love you too, sis."

"Shut up. And get off of me."

"Not until you say it back. Let me hear you say it sober."

"Love you," she mumbles, not quite loud enough to hear clearly.

"What was that? Bea, did you hear what she said?"

Bea shakes her head. "No, I didn't. Franky, could you repeat that?"

"You both suck. I said I love you."

"I love you..."

"Sister. Happy?"

"I am now. Was that so hard?"


	12. XII

They spend some more time visiting until Franky decides to make her way home. Deb heads to her bedroom to unpack her bag and get settled back in, leaving Allie and Bea to go pick up her car from the impound lot.

On the drive there, Allie speaks up after coming to a stoplight.

"Hey, Bea."

"Hey, Allie. Making sure you didn't forget my name?"

"No, it's not that. I didn't get to tell you earlier, but I wanted to say I'm happy I got to meet you too. I'm really glad that I can call you a friend. I just want you to know."

She grins her trademark grin, and once again, Bea finds herself smiling with Allie being the reason behind it.

Allie points it out.

"Made you smile again, I think that's number five today. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm getting good at the whole making you happy thing."

"You are. Too good."

"Want me to stop? I can start making you miserable instead."

"I didn't say it's a bad thing. I don't mind it, I like being happy."

"Good."

Minutes later, Allie parks her car in the tow lot. She stays in the car while Bea walks in.

Bea sees the hours posted as she walks into the office, she's just in time. The lot closes early today, in twenty minutes to be exact.

She's greeted by a rather short and rotund man behind the counter.

"How can I help you, Miss?"

"I'm here to pick up my car, it was towed last week."

"What's your name?"

"Bea Smith."

"Let's see, Smith. Ah, there it is. You got here just in time, any later, we would've had to charge you for another day. All I need is to see your license and for you to pay the fee, then you're good to go."

"And how much is that gonna cost me?"

"For the tow, plus holding it here, two hundred and fifty."

She pulls her wallet from her pocket, not seeing any cash inside. She checks her other pocket, nothing in there either.

"I had cash in here somewhere. You don't happen to take cards?"

He points to the sign situated on a wall, "cash only" in bold white lettering.

"Of course not. I might've left it in my friend's car. I'll go check."

Bea walks back outside to Allie's car. She opens the passenger door, looking on the floor, in the glove box, then under the seat. No luck.

"Shit," she mutters under her breath, still loud enough for Allie to hear.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, you didn't see any money lying around, did you?"

Allie shakes her head in the negative.

"I thought I had some in my wallet but I must've left it at home."

"We can go get it. Or go to the bank?"

"No time. They'll be closed by the time we get back. Would you be able to bring me by tomorrow?"

"Sure, I can do that. How much is it to get your car out, anyway?"

"Two hundred and fifty dollars too many. Plus an extra fifty for keeping it here for another day. I'll let the guy know I'll be back tomorrow."

Bea closes the door and crosses the parking lot. Allie gets out of the car, jogging to catch up with her. She follows her back inside the office.

Bea holds the door open for her and raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Getting your car back. We're already here, there's no point in you having to pay for another day of fees."

Allie steps up to the counter before Bea can stop her. "Hi. I'll cover it. Two hundred and fifty, right?"

"That's right."

"Allie, I can't let you do that."

Allie passes her money over, waving Bea off. "Don't worry about it. Just pay me back later. It's no big deal, let me do this for you."

"Sign here and I'll have one of my guys bring it around front."

He passes Bea a paper, she provides her signature.

Allie takes the receipt that's given to her after paying, then she leads the way outside.

After leaving that small office with Allie, Bea finds herself suddenly overcome with emotions. All of the kindness Allie has shown her and everything she's done in just over a week of knowing her, it's more than Bea feels she deserves.

From stepping in to protect her from Harry to taking Deb in when she needed a place to stay, Allie has done so much for her.

She's expected nothing in return, and Bea thinks she's never met a more selfless person. What Allie just did sends her over the edge.

The tears are light at first, quickly becoming more than that. Once they start, Bea can't stop them even if she wants to.

Everything she's been through lately, everything else she's kept bottled up for a long time has all bubbled to the surface. She's reduced to a sobbing mess in a matter of seconds.

She's glad that she can't see her own face. She probably looks insane, bawling her eyes out in broad daylight.

Allie stops walking and turns around after she hears a quiet sniffle behind her. Faced with the sight of Bea crying uncontrollably, her heart breaks.

She doesn't know why she's crying, she just knows that she wants to comfort her somehow. So Allie does the one thing she thinks she should, and what she thinks any true friend would, lends a shoulder for Bea to cry on.

"Oh, Bea. Come here."

Allie opens her arms wide, a gesture that Bea accepts. She takes a step forward into the hug, resting her chin on Allie's shoulder. Her tears are dripping onto Allie's shirt and getting in her hair, Allie doesn't mind.

"I.. I..." Bea tries but fails to form words.

"It's okay, you don't have to talk. Just let it out."

She holds onto Allie tightly, Allie gently pats her on the back.

Allie gives the "ok" sign with her hand to the concerned looking employee that drives Bea's car around.

They stand still for a minute or two until Bea composes herself enough to say something.

"Thank you," she whispers, still locked in the embrace.

"For what?"

"For everything. For being such a good friend to me and Deb, for letting her stay with you. For saving my life.

I think about what could've happened if you weren't there to step in. If it wasn't for you, I might not be here right now."

"I know. Believe me, I think about it too."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it kind of makes me feel sick, honestly. You know, I wasn't supposed to be at the club that night. I was planning on staying home, Franky convinced me to go out.

If she didn't… well, I don't like to think about that. But, we don't need to worry about what could have happened now."

"No, we don't. Thank you for everything else you've done for me too.

Since we've known each other, you've done a lot and you've been so kind to me. I don't feel like I deserve it. I don't think I can repay you for it either. So thank you."

"You deserve kindness. And you don't have to thank me. I just did what anybody would."

"I don't think so. I don't think your average person would do what you have."

"Does that make me above average?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Thanks, that makes me feel happy."

Bea almost doesn't want to let go. Allie feels warm, she feels safe. She eventually pulls away and gets her tears to stop falling.

She takes a step back, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She feels lighter now, that moment bringing a cathartic feeling to her. It feels good.

"God, I'm such a crybaby today. Sorry about that, I promise I'm not usually this emotional."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I think everybody needs a good cry every once in a while, I hear it's good for the soul. If you ever need to talk about anything, just know I'm here for you.

I may not give the best advice, but I've been told I'm a great listener. Also, if you or Deb ever need something, you know all you have to do is ask. If it's in my power, I'll make it happen."

"I'm sure that you would. Thank you. I've done nothing for you though."

"You don't have to do anything for me. That's what friends are for, I don't expect you to. You did draw the seahorses for me, that's something."

"Yeah, but that's just a drawing."

"So? You saw me tear up, didn't you? It meant a lot. I was serious, no one has ever given me something that nice."

"I wanted you to like it."

"And I did. If you ever feel like drawing me another picture sometime, I won't complain."

Hearing that puts another smile on Bea's face.

"Really?"

"Really. I don't care what it is either. I like how well you sketch. I wish I was that talented."

"I'll keep that in mind. Sorry for getting you wet today."

"Huh?"

"Your shirt. In the shower, and just now. That's twice."

_Three. And the third wasn't from water. _

"Oh yeah, that. That's okay, and this shirt is yours, remember? I'll give it back soon."

"Keep it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It looks better on you anyway."

"Now you can't say you've done nothing for me. You just gave me your shirt, so that's two things you've done for me."

They part ways, Bea promises to pay Allie back in full.

When Allie gets home, Franky has a question for her.

"New shirt? You weren't wearing that this morning. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you wear it. It's not one of yours."

"It's not, it's Bea's. I borrowed it from her after mine got soaked from the shower. She told me to keep it."

"Hold up, did you just say yours got soaked from the shower? What did you two get up to before Deb and I got there? Oh my god, did she jump your bones?

Damn, Allie, you know Red for a week and already have her switching teams? Bravo."

To top off the teasing, Franky raises her hand to her forehead, giving Allie a mock salute.

"You're so very funny. We didn't do anything. She took a shower and needed help washing her hair. She was having trouble with it so I had to get in with her."

"That's nice of you, and she was comfortable with being naked around you?"

"I guess so. She dropped her towel in front of me."

"You don't say."

Franky wiggles her eyebrows up and down. "So… did you get a good look? What's she working with under her clothes? Don't act like you haven't thought about it."

Allie rolls her eyes. "I did, but not on purpose."

"Sure you didn't."

"I didn't, it was an accident. I even looked away, but I saw her in the mirror."

"And? What did you see? How does she look?"

"Let's just say she's in great shape. Her abs and arms are killer. She takes care of her body, that's for sure."

"Hm. Redhead, fit, and good looking on top of that? Oh yeah, that checks all my boxes."

"Cool it, this is our friend we're talking about."

"She have any tats?"

"She has one on her shoulder."

"That's even better."

"Don't let Bridget hear you say this."

"She wouldn't mind, she knows she's my one and only. A girl can fantasize can't she? Besides, Red only has eyes for you.

She was staring again, what's so great about you anyway? Why doesn't she look at me like that?"

"Are you jealous? But about the staring. Something that stood out to me, my shirt was soaked through so I took it off to wring the water out.

When I looked up at her, I caught her staring at me pretty hard. Like, she looked me up and down."

"Did she like what she saw?"

"I don't know, maybe? I don't think she would've looked at me like that if she didn't."

"You didn't ask?"

"No, why would I?"

"I would've."

"Yeah, but I'm not as blunt as you. I did call her out on it."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing, her cheeks got all red though."

"Do you believe me now when I say it's not completely innocent when she looks your way?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking you might be onto something. I still don't think I should get my hopes up or assume she's attracted to me.

Even if she is, I don't think anything would happen between us. She was pretty clear on just wanting to be friends, nothing more."

"You never know, feelings can change. But only time will tell, my friend. You kept your eyes to yourself, I'm assuming you behaved and kept your hands off?"

"Duh, I wasn't about to grope her. The only thing I touched was her head. Except when she almost fell, I grabbed her by the waist to keep her steady."

"How'd that go for you?"

"Fine."

"You're telling me that someone who looks like Red, she's naked, soaking wet in front of you. You touch her body, and it's just fine? Don't you have the hots for her?"

"I don't have the 'hots' for her. But you're right, it wasn't completely fine. The noises she was making while I was washing her hair were a lot for me to handle.

And when I touched her body, you have no idea how that felt. I thought I was going to faint."

"Down, girl."

"By the end, I may have been a little turned on," she admits with a blush.

"May have been? Either you were or you weren't."

"Okay, I was extremely turned on. My shirt wasn't the only thing that got soaked."

"You pervert."

"Me? You're one to talk. I couldn't help it though, do you know how long of a dry spell I've been on?

How long it's been since I've even touched another woman? It didn't help that she was naked and so close to me."

"So what you're saying is you need to get laid. Who knows, maybe Red can be the one to help you end your spell. I'll leave you with that thought."

"Why would you do that to me?" Allie groans.

"Because now it's all you'll be thinking about. And I love watching you suffer."

"You suck."

"One more thing."

"What?"

"When she pinned me down on the floor this morning I gotta admit it was kinda hot. I didn't realize how strong she is.

Just imagine her doing that to you, holding you down, doing who knows what. Let your mind run wild, Allie."

"Franky, why? I hate you so much right now."

"Are you picturing it?"

"Yes. Obviously."

"You'll be having sweet dreams tonight, won't you?"

"You're a shit friend, you know that?"

"I know. But you still love me, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

The first thing Bea wants to do after getting home is go straight to her room to take a nap, the effects of her medication now starting to kick in.

She stops by the kitchen first to get a bottle of water and an ice pack from the freezer to put on her cracked ribs.

When she opens the freezer, she's met with a wall of plastic containers with different meals in each one, what looks like enough for two people. Last time she checked, they weren't in there.

She grabs the ice pack and continues on her way, sticking her head into Debbie's room to ask her about it. Deb is sitting cross-legged on her bed with headphones in, humming along to whatever song she's listening to, probably some band Bea's never heard of.

She looks up and pulls her headphones out.

"Hey."

"Hey. Real quick, all those food containers in our freezer, do you know anything about that?"

"Yeah. I helped Franky do meal prepping when I was there.

Once a week, she makes a bunch of different meals so she and Allie don't have to worry about cooking. She made extra so I could bring some home."

Bea's heart warms at the kind gesture. Where have people like Franky or Allie been all her life?

"That's really nice of her. I should make sure I say thanks."

"She is nice. I like her a lot."

"I admit she's grown on me too," Bea lets out a yawn, feeling more and more tired.

"Right. Well, I'll leave you to it. I'm headed to my room, my bed is calling my name."

"Okay, sleep well."

Bea crosses the hall, closes her bedroom door, and slides into bed, noticing the sheets and blankets smell freshly cleaned.

Deb must have done the laundry. She grabs her phone from the nightstand to send Franky a message.

_You filled my freezer with food too? I don't think I can say thank you enough. Let me know if there's any way I can repay your kindness. _

**_No need to thank me Red, it's what friends are for. I think there is one thing you can do for me. Just keep being a good friend to Allie._**

**_And me, of course. Keep up the good work and you might be my new best friend._**

_I'll try my best. _

She puts her phone back then gets more comfortable, taking full advantage of the extra room without another person. A king-sized bed, all to herself.

A few minutes later, Bea drifts off to sleep and she's dead to the world for the next several hours.

She has an interesting dream. It involves Allie and the shower. But instead of washing her hair, Allie is on her knees in front of her, looking up at her and winking.

Bea takes a step back, Allie puts her hands on her hips, pulling her closer.

"What the fuck?"

She wakes up just as she knees Allie in the face, her nose beginning to bleed profusely.

Bea looks around, her room much darker than she last saw. She shakes the dream she had out of her head then reaches over to check her phone, shocked to see it's nearly seven p.m.

She lies in bed a little longer until the smell of cooking food and her growling stomach coaxes her out of the room.

Walking into the kitchen, she sees Debbie standing at the stove, whatever she's making smells delicious.

Deb sees her enter the room. "Look who decided to wake up. Do you feel okay?"

"I'm good, mostly just tired. I didn't mean to sleep so long, but I guess I needed it. I didn't realize how much I missed my bed until now.

I am pretty hungry though, what are you making that smells so good? And how are you cooking? I haven't gone shopping."

"Stir fry. I helped Franky cook most nights. I told her I wanted to start cooking for us more often so she showed me some easy recipes.

And this morning, we went to the store and stocked up on the ingredients for them. That's how I'm cooking."

Deb walks over to the fridge, opening the door and motioning to the contents inside.

"That's the errand we told Allie we had to run, buying the decorations was part of it too."

"Deb, it looks like we're preparing to survive an apocalypse or something, how did you pay for all this stuff?"

"Franky. She wouldn't let me pay for it."

"You're going to give her back every cent."

"I know. I need a job to do that, don't I?"

"Maxine offered you one."

"Sweeping up hair and taking out the trash."

"It's better than nothing. Take it or leave it. Though I wouldn't mind one bit if you cooked more."

"I like it. I think I might want to be a chef someday."

"Taking after Franky, huh? She's starting to rub off on you."

"Maybe she is. She's so cool. I look up to her. And Allie."

"Not me? Your own mother?"

"Of course I look up to you. I hope to be like you someday."

Debbie returns to the stove, turning it off and serving plates then setting them on the table.

Bea sits down across from her, checking her phone after feeling it vibrate in her pocket. She reads the message from Allie, the two pictures they took earlier in the day.

**_Here you go, I better see these on your wall next time I'm at your place._**

_Next time? How do you know I'll even invite you back? _

**_Because I'm pretty sure you will, didn't you say you won't get sick of me? Plus if you don't, I'll tell Deb you're being mean to me and she'll make you let me back over._**

_I don't doubt that she would. But seriously, you won't have to worry about me not wanting you over. You're welcome anytime. _

_If anything, I think you'll be the one who gets tired of my company. _

**_Yeah, I probably will._**

_Ouch, and here I thought you liked me. _

**_You thought wrong, I'm afraid. I just kind of tolerate you, honestly._**

For a split second Bea thinks that maybe Allie is serious. She knows she's probably not, but there's that voice in the back of her head telling her otherwise.

Allie's next text takes that thought from her, and she feels ridiculous for even thinking it.

**_Kidding, if that wasn't obvious. And I kindly disagree with that statement, tired of you? I doubt it. _**

**_I like your company just as much as you like mine. What's that saying? Something about time being well spent?_**

_Time spent with you is time well spent? _****

**_Ah, that's the one. It's true, I enjoy spending time with you._**

_I didn't know you felt that way. _

**_You couldn't tell? I sure do :)_**

_I know I told you this already, but thanks again for letting me cry on your shoulder. _

**_Any time. I'd be a bad friend if I didn't. I should warn you, you might have to do the same for me at some point. I gotta go, the bar is getting busy. Talk to you soon._**

_That's fine, it's the least I could do. Talk soon._

"Who are you talking to over there?"

Deb has been watching Bea across the table for the past ten minutes while they eat dinner. Bea stops eating to look down at her phone, she smiles and types out a message, then resumes eating. She does it several times.

It makes Deb happy to see, she doesn't remember the last time she saw Bea smile so much. Or text, she knows Bea would much rather talk on the phone.

_It's gotta be Allie she's talking to. Who else could it be? _

"Allie."

_Knew it. _

"What's she saying to make you smile like that?"

"Nothing much. It's just Allie, being Allie."

"That sounds about right. You really like her, don't you? I don't think I've seen you text someone so much."

"What can I say? I do like her. She's so nice to me. And to you."

"That she is. So, what's she saying?"

Bea slides her phone over to Deb, her conversation with Allie on the screen.

Deb reads the most recent messages first.

"You cried today? Other than this morning?"

"Like a baby. When we picked my car up, I didn't have cash in my wallet, so Allie paid for it. I don't know what came over me, but I got choked up thinking about all she's done for you and me.

And then everything that's happened lately, it was a little much for me. It all came out."

Deb reaches across the table, taking one of Bea's hands. "Are you okay now, though? I know how hard things have probably been for you."

"I will be."

"I know it. What did she do when you were crying?"

"She hugged me and just kind of held me while I sobbed."

"That sounds just like something she'd do. I'm a little surprised you let her hug you."

"I know, I'm not the biggest fan of people touching me. But I didn't mind it, I felt comfortable with her. I feel comfortable around her."

"I can tell."

"You can?"

"Yeah. In the way you talk to her and act around her. You're more... open I guess? It's like she gives you confidence. I'd say you're pretty comfortable with Franky too."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have played around with her like that if I didn't. I didn't think about Allie like that. Giving me confidence? Hm, maybe she does."

"And do you remember the day we met her? You held her hand when Will was telling us about Dad."

Her eyes widen. "I held her hand? I feel like I'd remember doing that."

"You did. That tells me you can trust her. It's a good thing."

"She probably thought that was weird of me."

"I don't think so. If she did, she wouldn't have held yours. By the way, it was nice what you said to her this morning. About being happy you met her."

"You heard that?"

"I was sitting right next to you, of course I heard. I'm happy we got to meet her too. I hope she sticks around, she's a good friend to have."

"She really is, isn't she? Do you think I was too sappy when I said that?"

"Not at all, it made her happy to hear, I'm sure of it."

"She actually said the same thing to me. She said she's happy we met and she's glad to call me a friend."

"Aww, now that's sweet. You two are going to be great friends, I can tell."

"I hope so. You know at first, I was kind of doubting why she'd want to be friends."

"Are we talking about the same Allie here? Did we not just read the same messages from her? There should be no doubt in your mind with her."

"I didn't say there is. It's gone now."

For the first time since they met, Bea isn't questioning herself, wondering what Allie sees in her as a friend.

She's having no second thoughts about whether Allie actually likes her, or if she's just being nice.

Deb scrolls further up, seeing the pictures Bea took with Allie.

"Oh my god, your faces." Deb laughs, turning the screen towards Bea.

"We both look ridiculous, I know. It was her idea."

"I love it. That's a keeper."

Deb turns the phone back towards herself, Bea sees her pressing buttons on the screen.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting this as your home screen. And we should print both of these pictures. They have to go on the wall."

"That's what I was thinking. I was wanting to update our pictures."

"Replace the ones with Dad in them?"

"Is that okay? I won't throw them out, I'll just pack them away if you want."

"It's fine with me, you don't have to keep them. While we're on the subject of him, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, I…"

"Deb, it's fine. You can tell me, I think I have a good idea of what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"Do you think you'll miss him?"

Deb nods. "I know how that sounds. I don't want you to think I'm okay with what he's done to you. It's just…"

"I understand completely. I don't think that, by the way. I know you still have love for him. I know he was good to you. And that's all perfectly fine.

It's natural to miss him. Speaking of him, you know once his trial starts, he'll probably be gone for a long time."

"I know that."

"He'll probably want you to visit him at some point. So I want to know, if the time comes, do you think you'd want to visit him?

You know I would prefer if you didn't, but once you're old enough, you can make that choice."

"I wouldn't visit him. I know I said I'll miss him somewhat, but it doesn't mean I want to see him again. I'll keep my good memories of him, but that's it. That's all I need."

Afterwards, she and Bea settle on the couch to unwind and watch a movie. While watching, Deb falls asleep, not uncommon for her. Bea can't remember the last time her daughter actually finished a movie.

She waits for it to finish before waking her up, sending her to bed with a kiss on the forehead. She locks up and shuts off the lights before heading to bed herself.

Hours later, Bea is still lying awake. She gave up trying to sleep an hour ago. Try as she might, sleep just wouldn't come. The house was too quiet for her. She's grown accustomed to the constant hustle and bustle of the hospital.

She finds her phone on the bedside table, she opens the pictures she had taken with Allie earlier. She smiles at how ridiculous they looked.

It's four a.m. when she decides to get out of bed. She looks in on Deb sleeping, something she's done almost every night for as long as she can remember.

She walks to the kitchen, making herself a cup of tea. While waiting for it to steep, she decides to start a new drawing, grabbing her sketchbook from her room.

Taking her tea from the kitchen counter, she sits at the table. Using a picture she took with one particular person for reference, she gets to work.


	13. XIII

She fell asleep at some point, waking up about a quarter after seven to birds chirping and the sun shining in her eyes. Bea sits up, her neck stiff from the position she fell asleep in.

She reheats the cup of tea she made hours ago, then sets about waking Deb up after checking the time. It's her first day back to school, and it seems she's overslept.

On her way, she throws her sketchbook in her room, away from prying eyes. She's started drawing one of the pictures she took with Allie, and she doesn't want anybody to see it.

Not until she draws herself in, she figures it'd look pretty weird if she has just Allie's face on the page. She gets Deb started on her morning routine, then heads to the kitchen to make her breakfast.

Later in the morning, Deb leaves for school, leaving Bea to get started on what she wanted to do today. Absolutely nothing.

She can't remember the last time she had the house to herself and nothing pressing to do, nowhere to go.

She lounges around the house all day, reading a few chapters of her favorite book, working on her recent sketch, and getting caught up on her guilty pleasure, reality television.

Something about the overreactions, the played up drama is so entertaining to her. She treats herself to junk food as well, not something she eats a lot of. She's flipping through TV channels when she gets a message from Allie.

**_Hi, how's your day going?_**

_I'm camped out on the couch, watching trashy TV, and eating junk food. I'd say it's going pretty well. _

**_Lucky! Wish I could be there. If I didn't have to work tonight, I so would be._**

_Call in sick? _She sends back, at least halfway joking.

**_You're a bad influence. I could call in sick, but someone else would have to cover for me. Some other time._**

_Rain check, then. You can bring the snacks. _

**_Deal. Do you need anything while I'm out and about? I'm just leaving the shelter._**

_I'm fine, thanks. _

**_If that changes, you know what to do._**

Bea appreciates that Allie reached out just because, just to see what she's up to. It's nice to know that someone's thinking about her enough to check in and see if she needs anything.

The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur. She's asleep on the couch when Deb returns from school. The house is dark and dead quiet, minus the soft hum and dim glow of the TV.

Deb turns on some lights, seeing Bea curled up on the couch. She sneaks across the living room and pulls the blinds open to let some sunlight in.

"Rise and shine!"

Bea pulls the blanket she's using tightly over her head. "Ugh. Too bright, Deb."

Deb rips the blanket off, tossing it aside. Bea groans in annoyance.

"Wake up," she says, sitting on Bea's legs.

"You're heavy, what have you been eating lately?"

"Is that an insult against my weight? You're not supposed to say stuff like that, that's how I get a negative body image."

"Dramatic. Fine, I'm up. Get off of me."

Deb stands up, sitting back down after Bea sits upright.

"Have you left the couch today?"

"A few times."

She looks at the empty snack wrappers and a soda can littering the coffee table.

"Have you eaten anything with nutritional value today?"

"I ate vegetables."

"Potato chips don't count."

"I beg to differ."

Deb pinches her nose, waving a hand back and forth dramatically. "God, have you even brushed your teeth today?"

"What are you, my mom?"

"Sometimes I feel like I am. It's like I'm the adult, and you're the kid.

I have some homework to do, then I'm making dinner, and you're having vegetables. Real vegetables."

Bea sticks her tongue out in response.

"Real mature. Now, please go brush your teeth. And put a new shirt on."

"My breath can't be that bad." Bea breathes into her hand, her face twisting up.

"Oh."

"See what I mean?"

Deb picks her bookbag up from the kitchen table and walks off towards her room.

Bea also gets up from the couch and goes to her bedroom, doing what Deb requested of her. Feeling like she should do something today, she returns to the kitchen to get a start on dinner.

Deb fills her in on her day while they eat. After dinner, Bea takes a shower, having Deb help her wash her hair. An extra set of hands is a godsend, but she'll have to find a way to do it on her own eventually.

She has a sleepless night again. This time she had another strange dream in which she attempted to kill Harry. He went to the police and she was sent to prison, Wentworth, the one Franky told her about.

What's scariest to her is that's one thing that could've happened. At her lowest, she almost snapped one day.

Harry was typically laying into her with insults while she had a heavy skillet in her hand. She was considering swinging it his way when Deb walked in, stopping her from doing something stupid. If she had hit him and injured him seriously or worse, she could very well be the one in custody right now.

The next day, she's much more productive after Deb leaves for school.

She goes out to the garage to collect a few cardboard boxes. She takes them to her room, then gets started packing Harry's belongings away, wanting to get rid of reminders of him sooner than later.

She starts with his clothes, moving on to his watch and shoe collection, planning to donate it all. She makes a phone call to see if the place in mind is currently accepting, which they are.

She finishes that task, heading to the bathroom to throw any toiletries of his that he left behind. Feeling accomplished, she takes a break with a cup of tea on the couch.

She hears her phone ringing in the kitchen. She walks in to pick it up, seeing Allie's name on the screen.

"Hey."

"Hi, what are you doing?"

"Nothing much, I just finished going through most Harry's stuff. I threw away some junk he left behind and I plan on donating his clothes and a few other things."

"Sounds like you were productive today."

"Yeah, I was, I think. So what's up?"

"Well, I just left the shelter for the day, I'm on my way to get something to eat, thought I'd see if you want me to bring you something?"

She almost declines, her grumbling stomach telling her that's a bad idea.

"That sounds great, I'm starving."

"Anything you're in the mood for? I was thinking burgers and fries but I can go somewhere else."

"A burger sounds perfect, thanks."

"See you soon."

"Let yourself in, the door's unlocked."

Allie shows up about fifteen minutes later. Bea's in her bedroom, she heads into the kitchen after hearing her walk in. Allie sets the food on the table, excusing herself to use the restroom.

"Hey, I don't see our pictures up yet," she points out when she comes back.

"You just sent them last night, what did you expect? Deb wants to print them out, they'll make it up on the wall eventually."

"They better."

"They will. While you're here, could I get your help with something? If you're not busy?"

"I have nowhere to be. Does it involve a shower again? Am I going to have to start bringing an extra shirt when I see you?"

"No, it's not that this time. I need help taking some boxes to the donation center. I would but, you know." She waves her casted hand around.

"I can do that."

"Thanks. I promise one of these days I'll do something for you in return."

After they finish eating lunch, Allie helps Bea finish packing away the rest of Harry's clothes, filling two boxes with shoes alone.

"Christ, how many pairs of shoes could one guy need?"

"No idea. He's one of the few men I know that has more pairs than a woman."

Allie carries the boxes downstairs and packs Bea's car for her. Bea changes her clothes before they leave.

When they get back from the donation center, Bea has Allie help her take picture frames down to start replacing the photos in them. They spend the rest of the afternoon looking through old pictures and hanging new ones.

Bea shows pictures of her grandparents, pictures of herself growing up, and some more of Deb, of course. She has a story for nearly every one, Allie listens attentively the whole time. Getting a glimpse into Bea's history is something she's coming to enjoy.

They're busy looking at the remaining picture albums Bea kept when Deb gets home from school. She drops her backpack at the table, joining Bea and Allie on the floor. Bea hands her a stack, all the photos they've taken with Harry.

"You're back already?" She asks Allie while looking through the pictures in her hand. She's not surprised to see her, but she didn't expect her back so soon.

She gives all but one photo back. Bea tosses them in a shoebox, in case Deb might want to look at them again someday.

"Happy to see you too, Deb. How was school?"

Deb visits with Allie for a bit, filling her in on the current gossip around school. She heads to her room shortly after, wanting to get a start on her homework.

"Who's this?" Allie hands Bea a picture of a young man and woman, the woman holding an infant in her arms.

Bea takes it from her, reading the writing on the back.

_Evelyn, James, and Bea, nine mo. old_

Her parents. It's dated just a few months before the car accident that took their lives. Bea flips it back around, smiling sadly.

"Those are my parents and I."

"What were their names?"

"James and Evelyn."

"Evelyn. That's Deb's middle name, right?"

"Yeah. I wanted to honor her memory somehow. I would've gone with James if we had a boy. I wanted Evelyn as her first name, but Harry insisted on Debbie.

From the stories my grandparents told me about her over the years, you're a lot like my mom."

"I'm like her? That's a good thing, I'm hoping?"

"It's a good thing. She was a good person. Kind to everybody, willing to help people in any way possible. Just like you."

"Great minds think alike. Your mom was beautiful, I see where you and Deb got your looks from."

"She really was. I wish I had a chance to know her."

Bea sets the photo aside, wanting to put it in a frame. She stands up, taking the rest of the photo albums to the hall closet.

"What are you doing with the rest of your day?"

"No plans," Allie replies, moving from the floor to the couch. "I'm not on shift at the bar tonight, so I'm just hanging out at home. Why?"

"I was going to see if you want to stay and have dinner with us?"

Allie was about to make her way home, wanting to give Bea some time with Deb since she knows they haven't spent much time together lately. But dinner with two of her good friends sounds great to her.

"Sure. What are you making?"

"Let's see."

Bea goes to the kitchen and looks in the fridge.

"I have all the ingredients for spaghetti, how does that sound? I'll make a salad too."

"Sounds good to me."

"I'll get started then. Do you want a glass of wine?"

"Please."

Bea looks in her usual spot where she keeps her wine, finding nothing.

"Nevermind, looks like I don't have any."

"I can go get some."

Allie's already off the couch and collecting her keys by the time Bea can tell her not to worry about it.

"Red or white?"

"White sounds good."

"White it is. I'll be back in no time. Don't miss me too much."

"I won't."

While she's gone, Bea gets started on making sauce and browning the meat.

Twenty minutes later, Allie walks back through the door.

She sets the bottle at the table, moving into the kitchen to hunt down a corkscrew and glasses. She finds both, she's filling glasses when Bea walks in.

"How did you know where I keep everything?"

"That's what it's like at my house, just took a guess."

Allie puts the cork back on the wine bottle then hands Bea a glass.

"It smells delicious."

"It's nothing special," Bea says, taking a sip.

"You make your own sauce?"

"Yeah."

"Franky would be proud. She always gives me so much shit for buying sauce in a jar."

"It's much better homemade. It's worth the effort."

"I'm too lazy for that. Work smarter not harder, I always say."

"Here, try it, tell me what you think."

She holds the spoon out expecting Allie to take it with her hand. She instead takes it into her mouth, making eye contact with Bea. It's innocent, but it's something of a shock to her system and her mouth goes dry.

"It's good." Allie licks the small spot of sauce from the corner of her mouth, Bea's still looking at her.

"Did I miss a spot?"

"No."

Bea clears her throat and turns around, focusing her attention back on the stove.

"Do you want any help?"

"Can you make the salad?"

"Sure."

Bea finds a knife and cutting board for her to use. Allie takes the ingredients out of the fridge. She refills their glasses then gets started.

Bea watches as she chops tomatoes and cucumbers, singing along softly to the music she had put on.

Allie sees her out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, is my singing bothering you? I love this song. It's too good to just listen."

"No. You have a nice voice. Did you take lessons?"

"I was part of the church choir when I was a kid, from about ten to fifteen."

"Really? I feel like I learn something new about you every day."

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

Soon, dinner is ready. Bea sends Allie to collect Deb from her room. Allie stops just outside the partly opened door, hearing Deb talking on the phone.

"Brayden? Yeah, he's really cute, I like him a lot. But I don't know if he likes me back, it's hard to tell."

She knocks, pushing the door open and sticking her head into the room. "Deb, dinner's ready."

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute."

Allie heads back to the kitchen.

"Know anything about a boy named Brayden?"

"I've heard his name once or twice. I think he goes to school with Deb. Why do you ask?"

"I heard her talking about him on the phone. She said something about liking him."

"Interesting, I'll have to ask her about that. I think this is the first boy she's liked, my little girl's growing up."

"Her first?"

"That I know of."

The three of them eat in relative silence, but it's comfortable.

Something about Allie Bea likes is the fact that she can let quiet moments stay that way, she doesn't have a need to fill the silence.

Allie feels the same, even with her usual dislike of quiet.

"So… who's Brayden?" Bea asks about ten minutes into dinner.

"He's just a boy I know, we have some classes together," Deb replies, refusing to look up, her cheeks a shade pinker.

"A cute boy, or so I heard."

Deb looks up from her plate to Allie. "You listened to me on the phone?"

"I didn't mean to, but your door was open a bit. So you like him?"

"I do. He's really nice to me. He makes me really happy."

"And? Does he like you too?"

"I think so. He hasn't said he does, but he… he kissed me today."

"That usually means a boy likes you, Deb."

"He did what? Why didn't you say anything?" Bea asks, something of excitement in her voice.

Deb blushes even more. "It's not that big of a deal. It was just on the cheek."

"So? Why haven't you told me about him?"

"Because there's nothing to tell yet. And I don't want you to scare him off. He's already afraid of you."

"Why? I've never even met him."

"He's seen you a couple of times at the school. He said you're scary. The way you carry yourself or something."

"Allie, do you think I'm scary?"

"No, but that's because I know you. To other people, I bet you're pretty intimidating."

"Well, he's gonna have to get over that. Sooner or later, I'm going to want to meet him, Deb."

"I know."

"Me too," Allie agrees. "Franky as well, she and I are gonna have the talk with this boy."

"The talk?"

"Yeah, you know, ask him what his intentions are. Let him know if he breaks your heart, we'll break his neck. The usual."

"Please don't do that to him. Besides, we're not dating, we're just talking."

"And kissing, apparently," Bea adds.

Deb puts her head down on the table. "Why did I tell you that? This is so embarrassing."

They finish eating, Deb suggests they watch a movie. They let Allie pick the movie while Deb makes a bag of popcorn.

She pours some into a smaller bowl for herself, giving the bigger one to Allie for her and Bea to share.

Bea takes a quick trip to the bathroom, shutting off some lights on her way back. She settles on the couch next to Allie, Allie places the bowl of popcorn between them.

While watching, their hands occasionally brush when they reach into the bowl. Allie feels nothing but butterflies at the contact. She feels like a teenager again, body reacting like this to such a simple gesture.

Thirty minutes into the movie, Deb falls asleep in the recliner like Bea expected. And like mature adults would, Bea and Allie try to wake her up by throwing popcorn at her.

At Allie's suggestion, they make a game out of it, in which the object is to land a piece in Deb's slightly opened mouth.

"What do I get when I win?"

"When? You sound so sure of yourself, Bea. How about the loser has to do the dishes from dinner?"

"Oh, you're on."

They throw several pieces, leaving a mess in their wake. Allie takes victory when a perfectly thrown piece hits right on the mark.

It's sucked into Deb's mouth when she takes a breath in. She wakes when it hits the back of her throat and sends her into a small coughing fit.

She sits up, surveying the mess of popcorn in her lap and all over the floor around her. Shaking the popcorn out of her hair, she looks to the guilty duo on the couch.

"You two are children. Absolute children."

A pillow from Bea and a handful of popcorn from Allie thrown her way is the only response she gets.

"You just proved my point. By the way, I'm not cleaning this up."

She bids Bea and Allie good night, heading off to bed.

As they watch, Bea feels her eyes grow more and more heavy, likely from the wine she drank and the large amount of food she ate. Out of the corner of her eye, Allie sees her head beginning to droop a bit.

"Are you falling asleep?"

"Just resting my eyes."

"I can go if you're tired."

"Stay."

It takes Bea all of two minutes to doze off. After a few minutes, she shifts in her sleep, she ends up leaning against Allie, her head resting on her shoulder.

Feeling a weight on her side, Allie looks to her right. She watches Bea sleep for just a minute.

_She's gorgeous even when she's sleeping? Is there anything she doesn't look good doing? _

The only problem with this situation is that Allie was scratching an itch on her back when Bea leaned over, trapping her arm against the back of the couch.

She could move, but that'd probably wake Bea up, who looks to be sleeping pretty soundly. She also doesn't really mind a beautiful woman sleeping on her shoulder.

She focuses back on the movie, but after a few minutes, her arm starts to tingle. Ten minutes later, it's completely numb.

And now, she has to go to the bathroom, bad. She waits another five minutes hoping Bea will wake up on her own, to no avail.

She can't take it anymore, she feels like she's about to burst.

"Bea," she whispers. Bea doesn't move.

"Hey, Bea," she says a bit louder. Still nothing.

Sighing, Allie reaches out to Bea's arm with the one not trapped, shaking it lightly. This time, Bea stirs.

"Huh?" She mumbles, still seemingly half asleep.

"Sorry to wake you up, but I can't feel my arm. And I really need to pee."

"Your arm?"

It takes a moment for Bea to realize that she's still leaning against Allie. When she does, she sits upright.

"I fell asleep on you? Sorry."

"It's okay."

Allie pulls her arm from behind her back, flexing her fingers in an attempt to bring some feeling back to it, the pins and needles following.

She quickly stands up and all but runs towards the bathroom, Bea laughing at her along the way.

When she comes back, she rejoins Bea on the sofa after cleaning up the popcorn she threw at Deb, to finish their movie.

"You could've woken me up."

"You looked like you were sleeping so well though."

"I was."

"What is it with my shoulder, first you cry on it, now you sleep on it?"

"Don't know, guess it's just comfortable."

"Anybody ever tell you that you snore?"

"I do not."

"How would you know? You're asleep while you do it. It sounds like a freight-train."

"Please tell me it's not actually that loud."

"No, it's quiet. It's cute."

"Whatever."

Said movie comes to a scene that makes Allie regret her choice, not even thinking about the content. The scene in question involves the main character of the movie being brutally raped.

Bea goes quiet and stock-still. Allie looks at her, judging from her reaction, what they're witnessing hits close to home for her.

"Are you okay?"

Bea doesn't respond, her eyes glued to the screen. The memory comes flooding back rather vividly.

She finds herself in the bathroom, Harry shoving her down onto the counter. One hand pinning her arms while another tears at her clothes.

She feels the heat from his breath on her neck, accompanied by the scent of alcohol more often than not. She hears his voice telling her to stop struggling.

She remembers the pain when he forced himself into her. She remembers the degradation she felt after he left her when he was through.

By the time Allie finds the remote to turn the movie off, the scene has ended, though she still stops the movie.

That snaps Bea out of her little trance. Allie looks at her, eyes filled with concern.

Bea turns her head, not wanting Allie to see the tears. So she's not quite over everything like she thought, a scene in a movie enough to set her off.

She hates that small things like that still have power over her. That makes her feel weak.

Allie puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "I didn't even think about that part, sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're not looking at me."

Bea quickly wipes her eyes before facing her. "I'm fine. That just brought back some bad memories to me. Do you mind if we watch something else?"

"Not at all. How about something funny instead?"

"Please."

Bea chooses this time, picking her go-to that always brings a smile to her face. A typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets her back again kind of movie.

"Didn't have you pegged as a romantic comedy type of girl."

"I know they're cheesy, but I really like them."

"Me too."

"Is it weird if I put my head on your shoulder again?"

"You want to?"

"I was pretty comfortable."

"Go for it."

Bea scoots closer, reassuming her earlier position. Allie makes sure to keep her arm free, putting it behind Bea's shoulders and resting it on the back of the couch.

"Smooth."

"Just didn't want you to trap my arm again."

"Uh-huh."

It's a bit after eleven when their second movie finishes. Allie is the one to fall asleep this time.

Bea ducks out from under Allie's arm that's now around her shoulder and leaves the couch, taking this time to do the dishes.

She's still feeling a bit unsettled from her unpleasant flashback earlier, and sleep will probably be hard to come by tonight.

She knows it's not the healthiest way to deal, but she could use a drink. She's out of wine so out to the garage she goes, to the ornate liquor cabinet tucked away in the corner near Harry's workbench.

She was livid the day he brought it home, after finding out the absurd amount of money he spent on it. She never understood his hobby for collecting expensive liquors to only drink them on special occasions.

But right now, she's thankful. She opens the cabinet up, picking out one of the many bottles of scotch.

She heads back inside and pours herself a small glass to hopefully settle her mind and help her get some sleep. It burns like hell going down and sends a shiver through her body, but it helps relax her.

Allie wakes up after hearing plates clattering in the kitchen. She follows the noise, seeing Bea washing the dishes.

She spots the bottle of scotch. She's no stranger to the occasional glass of hard alcohol, but at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday night?

_There's got to be something going on in her head._

Bea washes the final plate, setting it in the strainer and drying her hands. She turns around, leaning back against the sink and resting her palms on the edge of the counter.

"Having a nightcap?"

"Yeah, you want some?"

"No, I'm good, I'm about to head home. It was the movie, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"Why you opened this?" She picks the bottle up from the counter, taking a sniff of the contents and nearly gagging. She takes a look at the label, noting that it's some top-shelf stuff.

Bea sighs. "I know it was just a movie, but the acting… it looked real. I kind of can't stop thinking about it. It's like I could feel him holding me down.

I could feel his hands, hear his voice, smell his breath. It's like I was there, you know?"

She doesn't know. She's come close once, but she's never experienced what she knows Bea has, or what they saw in the movie tonight. She can't imagine.

"I'm sorry," she says, knowing it doesn't offer much in the way of consolation.

"It's not your fault. Being able to tell you these things, it helps more than you know. Okay, enough trauma talk."

"Okay. Just know that my offer still stands."

"Which one?"

"I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about anything. You don't have to hold it in."

"I appreciate that. Well, I'll let you get home. Thanks for your help today."

"No problem. Thanks for dinner, next time, I'm doing the cooking."

"You can cook?"

"Yes, Bea, I possess one of the most basic life skills. I'm not as good as Franky, but I'm a solid mediocre."

Allie walks over to open the door, stopping just before she steps out. "Hey, what are you doing with the rest of your week?"

"I'll be going back to work in a few days, but other than that, not much. Why?"

"Do you want to go bowling? I'm going with Franky and Bridget, you're more than welcome, if you want to tag along with us."

"Bowling?"

"Yeah. You know, rolling a ball down a lane towards pins?"

"I know what it is. You and Franky just don't seem like the bowling type."

Allie shrugs. "I didn't know there was a bowling type. I just know I really enjoy it. So, do you want to go or what?"

"Sure."

"Great, I'll let you know what day for sure. Have a good night. And, please don't drink that bottle all in one go."

"Why not?"

"Because I know from experience that unhappy thoughts and copious amounts of alcohol don't mix very well. So please, don't."

"Why do you care?"

She's not asking to be rude, she's genuinely curious.

"It's just what I do. That's how our friendship works. I care about you and your well-being, you care about me and mine. I hope, at least."

"I do."

"I thought so, but I didn't want to assume."

Bea dumps the rest of her glass into the sink, capping the bottle and storing it in a cupboard.

"It tasted like shit anyway. Have a good night, drive safe."

"I always do."

Bea sees her out, shutting off the lights and heading to bed herself.

Tonight, she's able to get a full night of rest. However short it was, her conversation with Allie seemed to help ease her mind more than the scotch.

It was just nice telling her what was on her mind. It makes her so glad to know she has someone that's willing to listen to her thoughts, someone that cares to comfort her when she needs it.

Bea thinks Allie is well on her way to becoming one of the best friends she's ever had.


	14. XIV

Another three days later, it's Bea's first day back at the salon in two weeks. Maxine told her to take more time if needed, but Bea was insistent on coming back.

Being cooped up in the house for most of the week has driven her stir-crazy, however relaxing it may have been. She's been itching to get out and get back to life as she knows it.

She met with her realtor yesterday morning, the appraiser the day before that. The house is now on the market for sale. It's just a waiting game for someone to hopefully buy it.

Her realtor let her know at this time of year, not many are looking to buy a new home which means it could be some time before she hears anything. She said to stay positive, but to not to get her hopes up. Bea is patient, she knows it takes time for these things.

In the meantime, she's started looking for apartments. Even if the house doesn't sell anytime in the near future, she wants out as soon as possible. She woke up early this morning to look at apartment listings on her phone.

With the prices she saw around the area, she'll have to dip into her savings to afford a place. Which she doesn't have much in the way of, not since Harry found her secret savings account and drained it almost completely.

She had opened it years ago, as he had strict control over her finances. She'd been careful keeping it under wraps, but she must've slipped up somehow.

He found it and cleaned her account out, using the money to run up a hefty bar tab and buy who knows what else. She opened another one, and she was extra cautious with keeping it hidden. She's not exactly flush with cash now, but she has a fair amount saved.

After getting out of bed, she takes a shower, now able to wash her hair on her own. She gets dressed afterward and spends some time in front of the mirror, debating whether she should cover her remaining bruises with makeup or leave them visible.

Her appearance is sure to raise questions from her clients, along with Liz and Annie. As far as Bea knows, neither of them were ever aware of her home situation.

Harry did a decent job of hitting her where no one could see, avoiding her face as much as possible. She also likes to think she did a good job of covering things up.

As for Maxine, Bea knows she had put the pieces together long ago, remembering the day she spilled hair dye on her shirt. Maxine walked into the back office just as she was putting on a fresh one, seeing various bruises on her body.

She asked her about them, Bea assured her she was fine, and things were left at that. Maxine knew there was more to the story, but she didn't press the issue.

After her hospital stay before this most recent one, when Deb was sent to stay with her uncle, Maxine confronted Bea when she finally returned to work. She pulled her into the back office late one afternoon when it was just the two of them at the salon.

She was more persistent and was able to get the truth out of Bea, finding out just how long Harry had been abusive towards her. She offered her help and was fully prepared to have her and Debbie move in with her temporarily the same night.

Bea declined, sharing her plans of collecting evidence and sending Harry away on her own. Maxine tried talking her into taking what she had collected to the police, but once again Bea declined for fear of it not being enough to convict him with.

She also shared her fears of Debbie's possible resentment. Maxine still pleaded with Bea to let her do something, anything to help. Bea refused adamantly, not wanting to involve another person in her situation.

When she wouldn't take no for an answer, Bea snapped at her, telling her to stay out of her business. Something she's since apologized for, but still regrets after seeing the hurt flash in her eyes.

All she wanted to do was help, but if Bea wouldn't let her, there was nothing she could do about that. Maxine reluctantly agreed to leave well enough alone.

Bea realizes now that she shouldn't have been so stupidly stubborn, she should have accepted the help offered to her. But that's neither here nor there, things are over, and that's all that matters to her.

She hears her phone ding, she picks it up, not surprised to see a new message from Allie. They've talked every day this week.

_**Good morning. I hope you have a great first day back at work. Try not to ruin anyone's hair, okay?**_

_Morning. I will try. No promises though._

_**I'm sure you'll be fine. **_

Deciding not to cover her bruises after all, Bea finishes getting ready and emerges from her room just after Deb leaves for school. She makes herself a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee before heading out.

She gets to the salon at a quarter past nine, later than usual. She doesn't have any clients until ten so her lateness isn't a problem. She's greeted by Annie once she walks through the door and drops her things off at her station.

"Good to see you, Bea. I hope you've been doing well."

"I have been, thank you."

"That's good. Ever since Liz told me you were in a car accident, I've kept you and your family in my prayers."

"I appreciate that, Annie."

"Please tell Debbie and Harry hello for me."

"I will."

Bea has always quite liked Annette, Annie for short. She's nothing but kind and she's such a joyful person, it's hard to not smile around her. She's an older woman in her early sixties and Bea honestly doesn't know much about her, as Annie tends to keep to herself.

Other than that she has a husband, she's a religious woman, and she makes one hell of a banana bread, bringing a fresh loaf to work at least once a week.

Annie excuses herself to answer the ringing phone. Liz waits for her to pick it up before making her way over to Bea.

"So great to have you back, love. We've missed you."

"Thanks. It's great to be back. So, Annie says you told her I had a car accident."

"I did. I thought I'd leave it up to you if you wanted her to know the truth."

"Thanks for that. I take it Max told you what really happened to me?"

"She did."

"I asked her not to say anything."

"I hope you won't be upset with her, I made her tell me. After the break-in happened here, I figured there was a lot more to the story. How long, love? How long has he been hurting you?"

"A long time, Liz. Long before we met each other."

"What about Debbie? He didn't…"

"No. He never put a finger on her."

"God, if only I'd have known… I would have done something to help. You know you could have come to me, you could have come to any of us."

"I didn't want to get anyone involved. I couldn't risk him hurting anyone other than me."

"I wish I had noticed something. If I was more observant…"

"Don't think that way. I kept things hidden, there's no way you could have known."

Liz has met Harry on numerous occasions in the three, almost four years of knowing Bea. She's never had anything but pleasant encounters with him.

He was always polite, always talkative, nothing but nice. He made sure to ask about her family, seeming genuinely interested in hers and her kid's lives. She always assumed he was a good man, as she had no reason to suspect otherwise.

So when she learned that he'd recently beaten Bea to within an inch of her life, and that this wasn't the first time, she was quite shaken. That shock soon turned to guilt at the fact of never noticing anything off with him.

She feels maybe if she'd been more observant, she could've done something. She's been racking her brain recently, trying to remember if she missed anything that could've given her clues to what was happening. She's come up with nothing but blanks.

Bea's hand on her shoulder gets her attention.

"Sorry, I was in my own head for a moment."

"That's okay. I want you to know none of it's on you. It was my problem… he was my problem. Like I said, I just didn't want to get anyone involved. I dealt with it, and it's all over now."

"Completely?"

"Completely. I had planned on going to the police before this happened. I collected a good amount of evidence, year's worth. I took pictures."

"That camera you kept in your drawer. I had wondered why I never saw you take any pictures with it."

"Yeah. I kept records of everything he said and did too. With what I collected, he won't be seeing blue skies for a long time."

"So he can't hurt you anymore?"

"Never again."

"That's wonderful."

"So, how have you been? How are the kids?" Bea's ready to change the subject now. The less she has to talk about it, the better for her.

"They're off to their universities at the end of next week. My baby birds are leaving the nest, I can't believe it."

"That'll be Debbie next year. I don't know if I'm going to handle it well."

"I wish I could tell you it'll be easy. I've been crying for weeks now."

"I'm not looking forward to it. Hey, is Max in yet? She said she wanted to talk to me about something."

At the mention of Maxine, the smile on Liz's face falters slightly. "Oh. She's in the office, Annie and I just talked to her too."

"Is everything okay?"

"I wish I could say. You'll have to talk to her." Liz squeezes Bea lightly on the shoulder then makes her way to greet a client who just walked in.

Bea checks to see how much time she has until her first client arrives then heads for the back office, her stomach in knots. Judging by the way Liz reacted, whatever Maxine has to say can't be good.

She reaches the office door, peeking inside. She sees Maxine sitting at the desk, her eyes red from crying, something of a grim look on her face. Bea walks further in, Maxine notices her and looks up.

"Hi, Bea. Welcome back."

"Thank you. Is everything all right? You wanted to talk?"

"Close the door, would you?"

"Sure."

Bea shuts the door and takes a seat in the chair across from Maxine. Maxine reaches into a desk drawer, pulling out a white envelope and handing it to Bea.

"First things first, these are all the tips that have been left for you since you've been gone."

Bea takes the envelope before peeking inside, surprised at the amount of bills. She sets the envelope on the desk.

"Thanks. So tell me what's really going on."

"I… have some news."

"What is it?"

"I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. I had a mammogram done and they found a lump in one of my breasts, so I had a biopsy done. I met with my doctor yesterday afternoon, the results came back, I have cancer."

"I'm so sorry. Is it serious?"

"I'm afraid so, stage three. It's spread to my lymph nodes. Things aren't looking the best right now. My life's not in grave danger, but I'm not completely out of the woods."

Bea feels the tears starting up. Knowing that such a lovely person like Maxine has a deadly illness and there's a chance it could take her life has Bea feeling overwhelmed by sadness.

"Max, I…"

"Bea, don't do that. You're going to make me cry again. I've had enough for one day."

"What about treatments? Please tell me it's not too late for that."

"No, it's not too late. We went over my options. There's radiation and chemo, and I'm looking at a mastectomy on top of that, just one, thankfully. I'd rather not have either of my breasts taken, but if that's the price I pay so I get to live, so be it."

"I'm sorry. And what about your family? Did you tell them?"

"I did. They seemed to take the news well. They're being so supportive, but I can tell they're scared."

"And you? This can't be easy on you either."

"Honestly, I don't know how to feel. I surely don't want to die, there's a lot I haven't been able to do in my life yet. But I'm not exactly scared either. Maybe it's some form of denial.

But listen, me being sick isn't all I wanted to tell you. The next few months are going to be rough for me. I'm taking some time off for my treatments and while I'm gone, I want you to be in charge.

I can't run this place and be sick at the same time. I want you to manage the salon for me. And maybe we'll talk about it being a permanent position."

"You want me? What about Liz? She's been here longer."

"I was planning on asking her, but I wanted to check with you first. I think you might be better suited for it."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to decide now, take a couple of days to think about it. There's no pressure if you don't want to. I just want you to know the position is yours.

Now enough about me, how have you been? How are you doing with everything?"

"As well as I can be, I guess. It's weird, no more Harry around. Is it bad that I have no idea what to do next? It's like I have all this freedom now, and I don't know what to do with it."

"Not at all, you'll figure it out. You can do whatever you want now. And Debbie? How is she?"

"I think she's handling everything well, but she doesn't talk about it much. I know she's got love for her dad still, and I know she kind of misses him.

I'm just worried she might start having a hard time dealing with it all. I know she hasn't had the easiest time lately."

"If she's anything like you, she'll be fine."

"I sure hope so."

Maxine has to cut their conversation short when Liz lets her know her first client of the day has arrived.

Bea takes the remaining time she has to arrange her station the way she likes. Her first client comes half an hour later.

He's an older gentleman who likes his hair buzzed to the same length every time. She feels grateful to get an easy job first.

She's been a bit nervous to find out if her work would be impacted negatively by having one hand to use. She seems to have no issues, and Mr. Williams has no complaints to share with her.

After he leaves, she sends off a message to Allie.

_First client came and went, no mistakes on my end. _

**_The day is still young, my friend._**

_No faith in me, huh? How's your day going so far? _

**_Pretty slow. We had a woman move out of the shelter and I ran a few errands for Kaz, but that's about it._**

Before Bea knows it, her day is already halfway over. She's adapted to her broken wrist and does her work just well as she did with both good hands. As she expected, she was asked by some of her clients about her appearance and sudden absence.

She stuck with the story of being in a car accident. She didn't like lying, but "my husband beat the ever-loving hell out of me" doesn't roll off of the tongue very well.

She takes a break for lunch, going with Maxine to a small sandwich shop just around the corner from the salon. While they wait for their food, she takes time to reply to messages from Debbie and Allie.

Debbie asks how her day is going so far, Allie confirms their plans for this evening. Tonight's the night she, Allie, Franky, and Bridget are going bowling. She's meeting Bridget for the first time.

Judging by the way Franky talks about her, Bea can tell she's very much in love with her. She wouldn't say she's the biggest fan of going out in public, but she'll put that aside to see Allie and Franky again, two of her favorite people.

She hears her name being called and leaves the table to grab their food.

"So, who's Allie?" Maxine asks when she returns.

She points at Bea's phone on the table, a text from Allie popped up on the lockscreen.

"She's a new friend I made."

"Hm. Allie. Is this the same Allie you met in the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you hadn't talked to her, didn't you have a bit of a misunderstanding?"

Maxine remembers when visiting Bea in the hospital, she confided in her about what happened with Allie. She was wondering how she should handle the situation.

"We got over that. I reached out to her so we could talk about it."

"How did that go?"

"It went really well. She explained why she left, she wasn't judging me, she was just upset to hear about what happened to me.

She was understanding of everything with Harry too. We talked for a couple of hours after that, we learned a lot about each other.

It turns out I'm not the only one with demons. I think that has something to do with her being so understanding."

"What kind of demons?"

"I don't think it's my place to tell you. I'll just say she's been through some things in her life and she did what she had to to get through them. Like me."

"Tell me more about her."

While they eat, Bea tells her just about everything about Allie. She tells of how kind she is. All the things she's done for Bea since they've known each other. How good of a friend she is and how well she gets along with Debbie.

She tells her about Franky as well. How funny she is, how happy it makes Bea that Debbie seems to really look up to her.

"You're making friends left and right, I hope I'm not being replaced."

"Of course not."

"Allie sounds wonderful. She must make you happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're nothing but smiles when you talk about her. It's nice to see you do that again."

The rest of her day goes by rather quickly. She gets home from work just a bit after five o'clock.

"What's wrong?" Deb asks from the couch once she walks through the door.

She knows Bea better than most anyone, she can tell something's getting her down. Bea takes a seat next to her.

"I talked to Maxine today, she had some news for me. She has cancer."

"Oh no. Is it bad?"

"She said it's stage three. It could be worse, it's not great though. She'll be starting treatments soon, but the next few months will be rough on her."

"I'm sorry, Mom. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just sad. It doesn't seem fair, you know? She's such a great person."

"How's she doing?"

"She seems to be handling it well. She's taking we time off, she asked if I would manage the salon while she's gone for her treatments."

"Are you going to do it?"

"For now, I'm just thinking about it."

Bea tells Deb about the rest of her day and soon heads for her room, wanting to take a quick shower before leaving. She's about to step in when she hears her phone ring. She turns the water off to answer, it's Allie calling.

"Hello?"

"Hey, have you left for the bowling alley yet?"

"Not yet, I'm running a little behind, I'm just getting home and I'm about to shower. Are you there yet?"

"No, I'm actually calling to let you know I'm not going to make it now."

"Oh, why not?"

"I completely forgot that I made plans already. Last week, I told a girl I know last week that I'd go out to get a drink with her tonight. She reminded me today, and I didn't want to back out on her.

I just wanted to give you a heads up. Sorry to bail on you, we'll have to get together another time."

"No worries," Bea replies, trying her best not to sound a little disappointed. Allie hears it in her voice though.

"Sorry, I was looking forward to seeing you too. If it's not too late, I'll try to make it after. You know what, she's calling me on the other line. I'll talk to you later."

"Sounds good, have a good night."

"Thanks, you too, bye."

"Bye."

She's a bit disappointed, she was hoping to see Allie. And suddenly, she feels less interested in going now. She picks her phone up to let Franky know she decided to stay home, when a message comes through from her. She changes her mind after reading.

**_Hey, Allie backed out but you're still coming right? I know you probably like her more than me, but I'd still like to see you. I've been talking you up to Gidge too, how will it look if you don't show?_**

_Don't worry, I'll be there. I need to finish getting ready and get Deb squared away, then I'll be on my way. _

**_Great, I'm heading there now. See you soon._**

_And I like you and Allie the same amount, if you didn't know._

**_Somehow I doubt that, but thanks anyway._**

Bea takes her shower. Once she's out, she gets dressed and ready then leaves her room, stopping by Debbie's room to tell her goodbye. Deb looks up from the book she's reading.

"You look bummed, are you still upset about Maxine?"

"No, it's not that. It's just, Allie won't be there tonight, she has other plans. I was kind of hoping to see her."

"But you're still going even if she doesn't, right? It'll be good for you to get out."

"I'm still going, I'm actually just about to leave. I should still have fun, I do like hanging out with Franky. I'm meeting Bridget tonight."

"You're going to love her, she's great. It's funny how Franky acts around her, just watch. You look really pretty tonight, by the way. Are you trying to impress somebody?"

"Just tonight?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

Bea looks at herself in the mirror in the room. She didn't think about her choice of clothes, she just put on the first thing she saw in her closet.

She's not wearing anything out of the ordinary. Her favorite pair of black jeans and a floral blouse with a v cut into the neck.

"I always dress like this. It's just jeans and a blouse, nothing fancy."

"Your tightest pair."

So they are. So what if she likes the way they hug her hips and they make her feel a bit of confidence?

"You're wearing perfume too."

"I always do."

"Is that my eyeliner? And my lipgloss?"

"What's with the scrutiny? Maybe I just want to look good for myself. There's nothing wrong with taking pride in my appearance. Besides, who do I have to impress?"

She shrugs, "Nobody, I guess. Anyway, you look good."

"Thanks, Deb. All right, off I go. Remember, no-"

"No boys, no drugs, no alcohol. I know."

"That's my girl. I love you."

"To the moon and back."

Bea parks in front of the bowling alley minutes later. While walking inside, she's pleasantly surprised to see Allie's car in the parking lot. She walks through the door, taking a look around the room.

This bowling alley was advertised as retro-modern. She's not sure what that means, if she had to guess, it's neon lights and loud music. It's a nice place nonetheless.

She hasn't set foot inside of a bowling alley since she was a kid, they've changed since she remembers. A bar seems to be the main attraction, a group watching different sports on the large TV screens.

It's not very busy, which she appreciates, big crowds aren't her favorite thing to be around. They make her a bit anxious.

The next thing she does is scan the room for Allie. Allie finds her first, she happens to be coming out of the bathroom near the door Bea just walked through.

"Hey, Bea."

"Hi."

By her tone of voice and look on her face, Allie's had a drink, or several. She hugs Bea, making her stumble back a bit. Normally, Bea would shy away from a hug like this. But with Allie, she reciprocates the embrace.

"Happy to see me?" Bea asks.

"I guess you could say that. You aren't happy to see me? I'm hurt."

"Of course I'm happy to see you."

Allie backs up a step, she looks at Bea with widened eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not at all. You just... you look nice. I've never seen you done up before."

"Well, you have seen me at my worst so this is an upgrade, I'm sure. I'm not that done up, I didn't do anything special honestly, this is how I normally look. You look nice too."

Looking at her, Bea can tell she put a little bit of effort into her appearance tonight. She's wearing some red lipstick and a bit of eyeliner that helps her eyes stand out all the more.

_She looks... beautiful._

"Thanks."

"I thought you weren't coming, didn't you have a date?"

"It was just drinks."

"You're mighty done up for just drinks."

"Okay, so maybe it was. Anyway, we had to reschedule. That's fine by me though."

"Hey, are you two just going to stand by the door all night?" Franky walks over to greet Bea with a hug as well, which Bea returns. She steps away, reacting the same way Allie just did.

"Wow, Red, you didn't have to get all pretty for little old me. Who knew you cleaned up so well?"

"I told you, Bea. You look better than you normally do."

"If that's supposed to be a compliment, you're doing it wrong."

"That's not what I meant. That came out wrong, I meant…"

Franky shakes her head mockingly. "And you wonder why you've been having trouble with the ladies. Can't even give a compliment."

Allie pinches her hard on her side.

"Ow, what did I tell you about pinching me? That shit hurts."

"If I'm doing it wrong, tell me how to compliment someone. Since you're an expert."

"First, you make some eye contact. I'll use Red as an example."

She looks right into Bea's eyes.

"Then you say something corny like, the sun pales in radiance to the beauty of your smile.

Or go with, I for one don't think you need makeup, your natural beauty is far too valuable to taint with unnecessary additions. You're Gorgeous."

"People fall for that? Tell me stuff like that didn't work on Bridget."

"I can't confirm or deny that."

"I don't know, I thought that was actually kind of nice." Bea even blushes a bit.

"See? It works. This is usually when the panties start dropping, by the way."

"And there it is. You just had to go and make it sexual."

"It's what I do, Red. It's true though. Say things the right way, women offer themselves up to me on a silver platter."

"Sorry, but it'll take a lot more than a few choice words to make me offer myself to you."

"Ah, so you're saying there's a chance?"

"No, that isn't-"

"I hear you, loud and clear. you can't take it back now. So if sweet talking isn't enough, what would it take to let a member of the fairer sex, such as myself, into your pants? Hypothetically, of course."

Franky smirks at Allie, who seems to be a bit more interested in this conversation than just a moment ago.

"Hypothetically, maybe if I had a lot to drink. And that's a big, big maybe."

"Well that's no fun, it'd feel like taking advantage of you. What else would it take?"

"Other than me actually liking women, nothing."

"Not gonna make it easy on me, I see. Can't say I've made a girl switch teams, but lucky for you, I'm up to the challenge."

She winks, Bea rolls her eyes at her.

"Now, come with me, there's somebody I want you to meet."

Franky takes Bea by the hand and practically drags her over to where Bridget is sitting. Bea turns to Allie as they walk over.

"I get what you were trying to say by the way, thanks."

"Red, this is my amazing, sexy, smart, talented girlfriend, Gidge. This is Red, my newest best friend, second only to Allie. You have a chance to be number one, but it'll take some dedication."

Bea smiles at that, "I'll keep that in mind. Nice to meet you. Franky goes on about you constantly."

"Can't help it. Red, what are you drinking tonight? You have the choices of shitty beer or slightly less shitty beer."

"Slightly less shitty, please."

"Be right back."

"I'll come with."

Franky and Allie head for the bar, Bea takes a seat across from Bridget, feeling a tad awkward being left with somebody she doesn't know yet. It's short-lived, Bridget starts up a conversation and it doesn't take long for Bea to warm up to her.

They spend a fair amount of time talking and getting acquainted. Bridget already knows a bit about her from what she's been told by Franky, Allie, and Debbie.

She doesn't know exact details, but she knows about the situation with Harry. Franky let her know the gist of things the night they saw Debbie at that concert.

Bea dreads Bridget asking how she and Allie met, but the question never comes. She thinks she must know already. Either Allie or Franky must have had something to do with that.

Bea asks about her job, curious about what being a psychologist at a women's prison is like.

"It has its ups and downs, but it's mostly rewarding. I've learned a lot in the time I've been working there."

She asks what made Bridget pursue that line of work. Bridget explains that she's always had an interest in the mind and wanted to get a better understanding of how and why people act and think the way they do.

She says that she loves what she does and having the ability to help those who need it is her favorite part of her job.

"So, how did you and Bridget meet, Franky?"

"Well, you know how I said I had a therapist? He retired and recommended that I see her, so I did. She's really good at what she does. You ever need someone to talk to, she's your girl. She helped through all of my own issues.

Absent father, a mother too drunk or hopped up on medication to care about me most of the time. The perfect combination for past, unresolved trauma to follow me into adulthood."

Franky says it casually, Bea can tell there's a hint of sadness in her eyes. It seems childhood wasn't the most pleasant experience for her. Bridget puts a hand on her knee, that sadness disappears.

"I was in a bad place when I met her. She really helped me get my shit together. So the more I saw her, the more things changed between us. It was less patient-doctor, and we were more like friends.

I fell for her really hard. I was always thinking about her between sessions, and I couldn't get her out of my head. It took over a year of her turning me down, but eventually she couldn't resist my charm."

"Charm? You mean your incessant flirting and constantly begging me to let you take me on a date?"

"It worked, didn't it? You couldn't resist this." Franky motions to her body, "I'm hot and you know it."

"Yeah, you're a real dreamboat."

"Whatever, Allie, you're just jealous. Anyway, one night after one of our sessions, she kissed me. I asked her out again, and she finally said yes. We went on one date before she begged to be my girlfriend."

"That's not how I remember it. You asked me first."

"But you're not the one telling the story. This is what happened. That was about two, two and a half years ago and we've been together ever since. I love her a lot if you couldn't tell. Sometimes I don't know what she sees in me, I don't feel like I deserve her."

Bridget gets up and heads for the bathroom. Once she's out of earshot, Franky lowers her voice and leans closer to Bea.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure, I've had some practice."

"Do you swear?"

"On my life."

"I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with her. I bought a ring. I'm just trying to find the right time to ask her."

"Really? Congrats. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you. You and Deb are obviously invited and you better be at our wedding, if I ever work up the courage. God, I'm nervous to ask her."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. And what's there to be scared of? She'll say yes."

"You think so?"

"She's head over heels for you. I can tell."

"That makes me feel a little better. So… since I hear you're a hairdresser, could you make me look good on my special day?"

"Yeah, you can count on me."

"Thanks, you're the best."

Bridget comes back from the bathroom, Franky suggests they start actually bowling instead of just talking all night.

"Bea, how do you spell your name? I need to put it on the board."

"Don't worry about that, I'll pass on bowling tonight."

"You what? Red, you come to a bowling alley, and you don't bowl? What's that about?"

"I've never done it," she admits.

"You've never bowled?"

"Well, once if I remember correctly, but I was just a young kid. That's pretty sad, isn't it?"

"Nah, not really. You know this means I'm not about to let you pass though.

I'm teaching you how to bowl, and you're gonna like it. First things first, let's get you some shoes. Size eleven?"

"Very funny. Eight."

Bridget enters Bea's name onto the scoreboard monitor while Franky walks away to get her shoes. Allie takes this time to give Bea a quick run-down of the game, going over basic terms and how the points are scored.

Franky comes back with her shoes, she waits for Bea to put them on before she directs her over to the balls.

"All right, pick a ball."

"Any ball?"

"I like them on the heavier side. Try that one, the blue one."

Bea takes the ball from the rack, testing the weight with her hands.

"How's that?"

"Good, I think."

"Good. Now, put your fingers in the holes, like this." She shows Bea how to place her fingers and thumb, "Be gentle, it's the ball's first time."

"Ignore her," Bridget calls out.

Franky laughs her off. "How do the holes feel on your fingers? Not too tight? Bet you've never been asked that before, huh?"

"Do you ever stop?"

"No."

"The ball feels fine."

Franky walks Bea over to the lane.

"Right, now we work on your stance. Watch close, I'm only gonna show you once."

She takes the ball from Bea to demonstrate approaching the lane and taking a shot.

She gives her some pointers on foot position, how to aim the ball using the markings on the lane, and the best way to release the ball to roll it accurately.

"Think you can handle that?"

"Looks easy enough."

Bea takes the ball back and takes a few practice runs, mirroring Franky's movements. Feeling prepared enough, she takes a shot. The ball starts rolling on a straight path but veers left halfway down the lane, ending up in the gutter.

Franky gives her a high-five. "Good try. Your next one will be better, I guarantee it."

Allie's turn is next. Bea watches as she walks up to the lane. She scores a strike with what looks like little to no effort.

"Show off," Franky says as she walks past to take her turn.

Allie simply shrugs. "You're just mad that I'm better than you at something."

Bea's turn comes around again, she manages to knock over three pins this time. After that, she gets better every turn, she seems to be a natural at this.

She manages to knock over at least one pin each time. On one turn, she almost scores a strike.

"Red, what the hell? Are you sure you've never done this before?"

"Positive."

By the end of their first game, she's climbed the scoreboard to third place, behind Bridget and slightly ahead of Franky.

Allie and Bea spend just as much time talking as they do bowling, if not more.

"How was your first day back at the salon?"

"It was good. It wasn't too busy so that was nice. And, I didn't ruin anyone's hair, that's a plus."

"So my hair is safe in your hands, good to know."

"Yeah, speaking of that, let me know when you're ready for me to do it. I'll find some time between clients."

"Okay, I will."

"I got some news from my boss, Maxine too. She's sick. Cancer."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is it serious?"

"It's not looking great, but she's starting treatments soon. She asked if I'd be in charge while she's gone."

"That's great, are you going to do it?"

"I told her I'd think about it. I got my house up for sale too, I met with the realtor yesterday."

"You did? Good for you."

"Thanks, it might take a while to sell. I started looking for apartments, I just want out of there. But everything I've seen is so expensive, especially two bedrooms."

"Let me know if you need any help with that. I can ask Kaz to look around. She has a couple of friends in realty, she could find you a good deal."

"She'd do that for me?"

"If I tell her it's for a best friend, she'd do anything."

"Best?"

"Is it too soon to start saying that?"

"No, I don't think so."

Now that she thinks about it, Bea does feel close enough to Allie to consider her a best friend. It's crazy to her how good of friends they're becoming in such a short amount of time, two weeks as of tomorrow, if Bea remembers right.

"Good."

"I didn't know you felt that way."

"What can I say, you've grown on me."

"So why'd you have to reschedule your date?"

"We didn't have to, technically. I wanted to, I told her that I just wasn't feeling up to it tonight."

"How come?"

"I wanted to see you instead."

"You did?"

Franky interrupts before Bea asks her to elaborate. She's been watching the two of them lost in conversation for most of the night. Bea also hasn't noticed it's been her turn for a few minutes now.

"Hey, how about you guys talk after we finish this game? It's almost over. It's your turn, Red."

Bea gets up to take her turn.

"Why specifically me?" She asks Allie when she sits back down.

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted to see me instead."

"That's not... I meant Franky and Bridget too. Are you having a good time?"

"I am. I'm glad you're here."

Allie sees Franky looking at her impatiently.

"Looks like I'm up again."

Their first game ends. Franky calls it quits on bowling for now, she and Bridget start up a game of darts, Bea and Allie stay where they are. Bea takes a quick trip to the restroom.

"Hey." Allie taps her on the leg when she comes back, leaning closer to her.

"Yeah?"

"You're being admired."

Allie noticed her soon after Bea arrived. So far, Bea's been oblivious to the pair of eyes following her around the building. This woman has Allie beat in the number of looks in Bea's direction.

"I am?"

"Over by the bar."

Bea turns her head discreetly to look behind her, trying to find this so-called admirer.

"I don't see him. Which one is it?"

"It's not a him."

"It's not?"

"No. She's been gawking at you all night, ever since you got here. Dark hair, red shirt, and glasses."

Bea spots the woman Allie's talking about, in a conversation with someone next to her.

"And you're sure she's not looking at you?"

"No, I'd know. She's only got eyes for you."

Bea looks again, this time making eye contact with the woman in question who quickly turns away. Bea does the same, her face going beet red.

"How cute, you're both shy. You're perfect for each other."

Bea shoots a half-serious glare her way.

"Uh-oh." Allie sees the woman down the rest of her drink. The person next to her lightly pushes the woman, her friend, if Allie had to guess. She starts walking towards them, her sights set on Bea.

"What? Uh-oh, what?"

"She's coming this way."

"She is? What do I do?"

"Just talk to her, see what she says. I'll be over by Franky if you need me to bail you out."

"Wait, don't leave me."

"You'll be fine."

Allie walks further away, joining Franky and Bridget in the midst of their dart game.

"Why'd you leave Red all by her lonesome?"

Allie nods her head that direction, "That girl walking towards her."

"Who is she?"

"Don't know, she's been eyeing her up all night though."

"Can't say I blame her. Red looks good tonight. And those pants she's wearing, they make her ass look great.

Hey, I'm just saying what we're both thinking," she defends, seeing the look Allie gives her, "And don't act like your eyes haven't been firmly planted on it all night.

Unless you looking her way when she bent over to pick up a ball was just coincidence. You should watch yourself, it's only a matter of time before she notices."

Allie doesn't respond to that, she has no reason to dispute what Franky said. Franky is right though, she could be a little less obvious with her attention, but she can't keep from looking Bea's way.

"Not even gonna try and deny it? That's what I thought."

Bridget leans in close to Franky and clears her throat, "Whose ass looks great?"

"You're just in time, I was telling Allie how wonderful you look in that skirt tonight."

"Last I checked, you don't call me Red."

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

Allie makes a whip-cracking sound with her mouth, Franky playfully kicks her leg.

"Am not."

"You kind of are, babe. So, who's Bea talking to and why are we watching so closely?"

Franky shrugs, "Don't know her, but it looks like Red caught her attention. In a bowling alley of all places."

"Ever since Bea got here, she's been watching her."

"My my, is that a bit of jealousy I hear in your voice, Allie?" Bridget comments.

"Yeah," Franky adds, "I'm surprised you're letting someone step on your territory like that."

"Zip it, you two. She's not my territory. And I'm not jealous."

_Am I?_

Bea notices a presence next to her and looks up. Now that she sees this woman up close, she is very pretty, Bea can say.

A slender face, light eyes, and a smirk that further adds to her beauty. She's not as pretty as Allie, but not many women are, by Bea's standards, anyway.

"Hi."

"Hi, what's your name?"

"I'm Bea. What about you?"

"Jen. Look, I'll just get right to it so you can get back to your friends. I know you saw me looking your way. I'm sorry to stare, but I think you're the most beautiful woman in this place."

Bea feels her cheeks warming up. It gets even worse when she looks towards her friends, seeing all three of them watching her intently. She ignores them and accepts the compliment.

"Thank you."

"If it's not too forward, can I give you my number? Maybe we could meet for a drink sometime."

"Oh, about that. I'm flattered, but I'm not…"

_Gay? Looking to date? What do I say? _

She doesn't want to offend somehow, turning people down is not something she's quite used to.

"I think she's having trouble," Bridget points out.

Allie looks back over at Bea, seeing how nervous she seems to be. She's fidgeting with her hands in her lap, her head pointed at her feet.

"And that's my cue."

"I'll do it," Franky offers.

"No," Allie and Bridget reply simultaneously.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think Bea would appreciate a kiss from you and a hand up her shirt. We're not on that level of friendship with her yet."

"Say what you will, it works."

"You're not what?"

"I'm sorry-"

"Hey babe, you making friends?" Allie interjects into the conversation, to Bea's relief.

She puts a hand on Bea's shoulder. To sell the point, Bea puts her hand on top of Allie's.

"Yeah, this is Jen."

Allie turns her attention to her, "Hi."

A look of realization makes its way into Jen's face, "Oh, that's what you were trying to say. You're not available, I see. Sorry about that, I didn't know you were together."

"It's not a problem," Bea says.

"You two have a nice evening." Jen turns on her heel, turning back around and looking to Allie, "You're a lucky woman to have someone like Bea here."

"Thank you, I sure am." Allie gives her a polite smile.

Jen walks away, Bea breathes a sigh of relief.

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you."

"No problem. You looked like you needed some help."

"What gave it away? I was going to let her down, but I got nervous and froze up and I didn't know what to say. That's never happened to me before if you couldn't tell."

"You've never been approached like that before?"

"Never by a woman."

"Really?"

"No."

"Well, you have now. How does it feel?"

"You know, it was actually kind of a confidence boost. I didn't think women found me attractive."

_If you only knew._

"So what happened? What did she say to make you blush?"

"She said she thinks I'm the most beautiful woman in this place. I think she exaggerated a bit, but it was still nice to hear.

She wanted to give me her number and go for a drink sometime. Good thing you were here to bail me out. That was a smart move, acting like we're together."

"It's effective. I've had to do it with Franky a time or two when people wouldn't take the hint that I wasn't interested. It's a good thing it wasn't her to be the one to help you."

"Why?"

"Because she really sells it, she probably would've kissed you."

"She wouldn't actually do that, would she?"

The thought of that happening mortifies Bea. She's got no problem with Franky hugging her, but a kiss? That's a level of physical contact she's not comfortable with, even if it comes from a friend.

"Trust me, personal experience. She even put a hand up my shirt once."

"Oh my god, really?"

"Yep."

"So you say you two have kissed, have you and Franky ever, um… you know?" Bea asks, her sense of morbid curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hooked up?"

"Yeah. Sorry, is that a weird question to ask?"

"No, it's not. And no, we haven't. She's like a sister to me, that would just be weird."

"That's weird, but her kissing you and putting her hands up your shirt isn't?"

"It's different."

"How?"

"It's only to get out of certain situations. There's no feeling behind it, it does nothing for me."

"What does nothing for you?" Franky sits next to Bea, curious about what just happened. Bridget follows suit, sitting next to Allie.

"Kissing you. And Bea was just wondering if you and I have ever done the deed."

"We sure have, like ten times."

"Is that right? That's not what Allie just told me."

"She's full of shit. You don't remember all those nights we spent together in each other's arms? The passion we shared between the sheets?"

"What? I am not. We've never done anything."

"She's right, we haven't, but…"

"But what, Franky?"

"Nothing."

"But what?" Allie asks again.

Franky sheepishly looks at the floor, "I've said too much."

"Wait a minute, are you saying you've thought about hooking up with me? Gross!"

"Gross? You should take it as a compliment! I have high standards so that means you're a catch. You're telling me you've never thought about it?"

"Fuck no, not even once."

"You're not attracted to me, not even a little bit? You wound me."

Allie shakes her head vigorously, "Sorry to burst your bubble."

"I thought we had something special, Allie."

"We do, just not that kind of special. Hold up, those few times you kissed me, don't tell me you liked it?"

"I'm not gonna answer that."

"You're sick, you know that?"

"Me? If I remember correctly, you're the one who slipped a tongue in."

"That was one time! And I was drunk."

"This conversation is going well," Bridget observes, Bea nodding along in agreement.

"I think now is a good time to stop changing in front of you, who knows what you might try."

"Don't be dramatic. I wouldn't try anything, I'm a taken woman now.

We should move on. Who knew you were such a chick magnet, Red? When's the date?"

"There's not going to be a date."

"No? That's too bad, she could have been your soulmate, now you'll never know."

"You know I'm-"

"Yes, I know you're not into women. Are you a hundred percent on that though?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"If that changes, I hope I'm your first call. I'll teach you all you need to know about the world of girl on girl action."

Bea rolls her eyes, her go-to gesture in response to Franky's comments.

he rest of the night goes by faster than Bea wants it to, though it felt good to get out of the house, she can't remember the last night she had this much fun.

They bowled two games in all, Allie winning one, Bridget the other. Bea and Franky stayed close in points, with Bea just ahead of her both times. Franky accused her of lying about her skills, Bea didn't confirm or deny her accusation to Franky's annoyance.

She got along well with Bridget, they exchanged numbers, Bridget planning to come by the salon the next time she has a free day. The four of them file outside to the parking lot.

"I'm starving, anybody else? Who wants to get some food?" Allie offers to the group. taking her jacket off and putting it in her car.

Bea nods, "I do."

She's not all that hungry, but she's not ready to go home just yet. She doesn't mind spending a little more time with Allie, it's becoming one of her favorite things to do.

"That's one yes. Bridget, Franky? You guys in?"

"I'm good, I'll eat when I get home," Franky responds in a tone that can't be any more of an innuendo.

"She's not talking about food, is she? Does she ever stop, Bridget?"

"No, Bea, she doesn't," Bridget replies with a sigh. "I'm sorry for her behavior. I may have been her therapist, but there's some things even I couldn't fix."

"It's fine, I think it's funny."

"Come on, Gidget. Let's get you home and get you naked!" Franky yells, slapping her hand on the roof of Bridget's car.

Bridget shakes her head before walking her way, "I think that's my cue. Nice meeting you, Bea. You two have a good night."

Franky sticks her head out of the passenger side window as Bridget drives by. "See you around, Red. I hope you know next time we go bowling, I'm not taking it easy on you."

"I'll hold you to it."

"All right, Bea, I guess it's just us. I know a good place, it's one of my favorites. It's close, we can walk there if you're up for it."

"Sure, it's a nice night for a walk."

She sends a message to Deb, telling her not to wait up and to lock up the house. Allie takes the lead, Bea follows her closely.


	15. XV

The further they walk from the bowling alley, the less Bea can recognize her surroundings. They've gone maybe a few blocks, and the city is already changing.

She and Allie are heading into the southern part of the city, referred to as "Southside" by many, if not all residents. Southside is known mostly for its sizable homeless population, low-income housing developments, high rates of violence, drug use, and poverty.

This is somewhere Bea wouldn't exactly feel comfortable walking around at night. And yet, here she is. She trusts Allie, she knows she wouldn't bring her this way if she didn't think it was safe. Hopefully.

After about ten minutes of walking, they pass a small motel where Bea sees two police cars in the parking lot, officers leading two women in skimpy clothing and a man in handcuffs out of a room. Bea stops to observe the scene laid before her. Allie stops too, backing up a few steps.

"Are they who I think they are?" Bea nods her head towards the women being ushered into the back of a squad car.

"Yeah, those are working girls. That was me once."

"You were arrested?"

"No, I just mean I dressed like that and I hung around sleazy motels like that. The ones that rent rooms by the hour."

"You dressed like that?"

Picturing Allie in a skirt that short and a shirt cut that low has Bea's stomach doing flips.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I had to, you don't exactly get clients while wearing turtlenecks and sweatpants. Some guys are probably into that, but they're rare, I'm sure.

You have to show some leg, the more the better. In case you ever feel like starting a career in turning tricks, just keep that in mind."

"Thanks for the advice."

"Want to hear something interesting about this motel? It gets raided by police a lot, prostitutes and their clients get arrested. Yet it never gets shut down.

A few months later, another raid, more arrests, rinse and repeat. If you ask me, something shady is going on here."

"What, are you some kind of conspiracy theorist?" Bea asks as they start walking again, the police cars and their occupants filing out of the motel's parking lot.

"I even have a tin-foil hat. All jokes aside, you don't remember like two years ago when that sex trafficking ring got busted? The people in the police department and that politician that got arrested?"

Bea remembers now, it was the talk of the town for months. Young, vulnerable girls in their late teens to early twenties were being transported from different countries around the world and forced into prostitution.

A small hotel in their city, much like the one they passed, was being used as a brothel of sorts. The owner of said hotel was eventually found out, and he drug everyone involved down with him.

He had kept detailed logs of every person who came through. A well-known political candidate, a captain and several officers from the city's police department were named too.

Bea also remembers the argument that got started with Deb when she wanted to study abroad and she told her no. Deb had fit the profile of most of the victims. Young girls, usually traveling alone or studying in a different country.

Deb pouted for days, whining about how unfair Bea was being until Bea finally had enough and let her read the news articles. That changed Deb's mind, she decided on a local university instead.

"I completely forgot about that. So you think this place is involved in some kind of dealing?"

"Don't know for sure. It kind of makes you think though, doesn't it?"

She taps her temple a few times to emphasize, "I'm telling you, sooner or later, a story's gonna come out about this place."

"You should be a detective. You're a regular Sherlock."

"As long as you'll be my trusty partner."

Bea has never once been on this side of the city, though she's lived here all her life. She feels somewhat out of place walking through, so far, it's been a different experience for her.

Allie senses her trepidation, "I called this place home once upon a time."

"What was that like?"

"It was scary at first. I got used to it quick though, you have to if you want to make it. And it was only for a month or two. Maybe three, I can't remember exactly.

Once I met Marie, I didn't have to sleep on the streets anymore. She had a place for me to go back to when I needed it."

"Why here? Why'd you come to this part of the city? Why not uptown, or a park or something?"

"Something I didn't tell you. Not long after I left, my parents reported me as a runaway. I'm not sure why they did that, I thought I wasn't welcome at home anymore.

I came down here to avoid the police or anybody who knew me. I was afraid I'd have to go back to them and I really didn't want to do that. As for not staying in a park, they kick homeless people out of parks. Yes, even kids."

They carry on, passing by an abandoned construction site. Allie points out the half-built houses she would stay in when the weather turned too cold to remain outdoors. They're the remnants of a gentrification project that was scrapped in its early stages.

They come to a point where they need to cross a rather busy stretch of road. Allie patiently waits for a gap in traffic to open up.

"Bea?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Give me your hand."

"Okay."

"Now get ready to run."

"Wait, why?"

"Just do it. Try to keep up!"

Allie takes off into the street before she can react, Bea has no choice but to follow. She looks to her left, letting out a gasp when she sees the headlights of a car coming her way.

She turns her head forward and keeps running. Allie comes to a stop in the center divider of the street, letting a car pass by before leading Bea to the other side.

Once they're across, Bea looks at her like she just grew a second head, "Are you crazy? We could've been run over."

"Relax, we had plenty of time. I wouldn't have done that if I didn't know for sure."

The first car they ran in front of passes by at least ten seconds later. Bea could have sworn it was closer than it actually was, her eyes must have played tricks on her.

"Come on, we're almost there."

Allie continues on their trek. She loosens her grip on Bea's hand, Bea doesn't let go so she keeps holding it, not that she minds holding her hand. It's soft, and it's warm against her own.

They walk silently, hand in hand. Bea continues to look at her unfamiliar surroundings. She still can't imagine Allie living here. This has turned into an interesting night, first they're bowling and now Allie is leading her to a place that's like a new world to her.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Patience, Bea. You'll find out when we get there."

"I am being patient, but I thought you said this place was close."

"So it's a little further away than I remember."

"A little?"

"It'll be worth it, I promise."

Out of nowhere, Bea is pulled into the doorway of a building, a bakery by the looks of it. It's a small area, especially for two people.

Bea backs up, trying to make some space between her and Allie. Their close proximity causes her heart rate to speed up.

Allie is faring no better. Their faces are close for comfort, the closest they've stood together, outside of a hug.

She locks eyes with Bea's lips, _Close_ _enough to kiss her. All I have to do is lean forward..._

Bea's voice snaps her out of it, "Why'd you pull me in here?"

Allie shakes the thought out of her head before speaking, "Sorry for this. I didn't want her to see me," she whispers.

She points across the street at a tall brunette who just left an apartment building, engaged in a phone conversation.

"Do you know her?"

"Yeah."

"Who is she?"

"Faith. We used to be friends."

"Used to be?"

"I did some things to her I'm not proud of and we had a falling out. I haven't seen her in years."

"What did you do to her?"

"Before I tell you, please try not to judge too harshly. I was completely different back when I was using. I wasn't always the nicest person when I was high.

I thought she stole money from me and my stash of dope. I was high and I beat her up, or tried to, anyway. She held her own, to say the least. I hope you know I'm not like that anymore. I'm not a violent person, I swear."

"I know you're not. And I'm not one to judge, you know that. We've all done things we're not proud of. Whatever happened in your past doesn't make a difference to me. You didn't give her that limp, did you?"

"God, no. She got that from a car accident. The worst I did to her was bust her lip and I think I gave her a bloody nose. She, uh, gave it to me twice as bad. She fought back and gave me a good beating, if I'm honest."

Faith finishes her phone call, gets into a car, and drives away. Allie starts walking again, Bea follows. They run into another obstacle on the way to their destination.

"Hey, Red!"

Bea stops and looks around, trying to find who just called out to her. There's only one person she knows who calls her that, and it's not her voice. Unless Franky has been a man with a deep, gruff voice all along.

Across the street, she sees him sitting on the ground. A man with long, shaggy hair and a thick beard. His clothes and hair are filthy, he looks like he hasn't bathed in weeks. In his hand is a small bottle of some kind of liquor, he takes a long swig before talking again.

"You ever get tired of your little girlfriend, let me know!" He starts to cackle, a raspy cough following.

"She's not my-"

"Just ignore him," Allie interrupts, pulling Bea along with her.

"Ah, don't be like that, Blondie. At least let me ask your girl a question before you leave."

Bea, now curious about this man and his question, takes her hand out of Allie's and stops walking.

"Bea, let's go."

"Hold on a minute. Let me see what he wants."

"If you insist, but you probably won't like it."

"What's your question?"

"So you do speak. Tell me, Red, how's her performance in the sack? How does it compare to the real thing with a real man?"

So that's not the question she was expecting. Bea now regrets her decision to engage him, she's not sure how to answer that.

Before she can come up with one, Allie speaks up for her, "Better than you'll ever know. I can do more for her with just a finger than you could with your whole body, prick and all."

That reply is enough to make him laugh hysterically.

"You got yourself a feisty one there, Red. You ladies have a nice night."

"Why would you say that?"

"Thought it'd be funny. Was it not?"

"A little, but now he thinks that you and I…"

"Who cares what he thinks?"

Bea opens her mouth to protest, but in the end, it doesn't matter. He's a nameless stranger that she'll never see again.

They walk for a little longer until Allie stops abruptly, Bea almost runs into her.

"Here we are."

They're now in the parking lot of a small restaurant. For the neighborhood they're in, it's more upscale compared to any other buildings they passed by. Bea points at the neon sign on the side of the building, "Pizza" in bright red letters.

"We passed two pizza joints on the way here. Why did we walk all this way?"

"They don't come close to this place. They have probably the best pizza in the whole city, hands-down."

"That good?"

"It's almost better than sex. According to Franky, anyway."

"Why am I not surprised? That sounds exactly like something she'd say."

Allie holds the door open, making her way inside after Bea. Bea takes a look around and notices it's busier than it looked from the outside, a good amount of other people spread between several tables. Allie leads her to a booth in a corner towards the back of the restaurant, near the kitchen.

"I'm getting a drink, you want something?"

"Whatever you get."

Allie walks off towards the small bar situated towards the front of the restaurant. Bea takes a seat while Allie gets their drinks.

"Allie!" Bea hears a child's voice yell, catching a glimpse of a little boy running by the table. He wraps his arms around Allie's waist, hugging her tightly.

Allie shuffles forward a few steps to set their drinks on the table then bends down to pick him up. She spins him around and blows a raspberry on his cheek, eliciting a giggle from him. She sets him down and slides into the booth across from Bea, their new companion following.

"Look at you, bub. You've gotten so big."

"I'm six now," he grins at Allie proudly, holding his fingers up to show his age.

"I heard. Did you have a good birthday?"

"Uh-huh, I got a bike."

He reaches over Allie, helping himself to a small box of crayons kept at the end of the table and a children's menu.

Looking at this boy, Bea notices he looks a lot like Allie. A nearly spitting image, minus the blonde hair, his being a dark brown. If she didn't know any better, he could pass as her son.

She thinks for a moment maybe he is, but surely that's something Allie would've told her, right? That's usually the first thing people tell each other. Allie sees the comparison that Bea's making at her likeness with the boy next to her.

"Who is this kid, Allie?"

"This is my son."

"Your what?"

"You heard me, my son. I'm pretty sure I've told you about him."

"You definitely have not, I'd remember. You told me everything about yourself but this? What else haven't you told me, are you married too?"

"She's not my mom. She's Allie. My mom is Amy," the boy says, not looking up from the coloring he's focused on.

"Almost got away with it. You should've seen your face, priceless. This little guy is Thomas, my boss's son."

"Bub," Thomas corrects her.

"That's right, I forgot. He prefers to go by his nickname."

"What's your name?" He looks over at Bea, her heart melts a bit. He's quite the adorable little boy. A freckled face, a mop of curly brown hair on his head, and big, bright blue eyes.

"Bea."

"Like a bee!" He exclaims excitedly, mimicking a buzzing sound with his mouth.

"Hey, use your inside voice," Allie laughs as she covers his mouth, noticing a few other patrons looking their way.

"Are you Allie's girlfriend?" He whispers to Bea, keeping his volume in check.

"No, I'm just her friend."

"You're pretty."

"Thank you. You're nice."

"Okay, enough flirting with Bea. Where's your dad, kiddo?"

"What's that?"

"Flirting? It's something you do when... you know what, ask your dad. Where is he?"

Allie gets her answer when a short, stocky man with equally curly brown hair like Thomas walks out from an office situated to the right of the kitchen. He heads their way after seeing Thomas.

"We talked about this. You gotta stop harassing people, buddy."

He says it in an exasperated tone, this must be a common thing. He sees Allie and his expression softens, mouth curving up into a smile.

"But if it's my favorite customer, it's fine."

Allie stands to greet him, he pulls her in for a hug, kissing her cheek.

"Well, look who it is. How have you been, Allie? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been good, just busy lately. You know, life and all that," she says, retaking her seat and taking a sip of her cocktail.

"I get that. Hey, I heard from the wife that you got in a little fight not too long ago, helped some woman being attacked."

"Yeah, I did. I wasn't about to sit back and let it happen."

"Looks like you were on the losing end."

"You think my face looks bad now, you should've seen it about a week ago. I looked terrible."

"More terrible than usual?"

"That's rude."

He laughs, "You must be crazy, jumping into a situation like that."

"Maybe I am, but the beating I took was well worth it. I earned a great new friend out of the situation. I'd do it all over again if I had to."

He sees the knowing look Bea and Allie share with each other. That's all it takes for him to put two and two together. Her casted wrist and faded bruises on her face tell him she's most likely the woman that Allie helped.

"I bet you would. Promise me next time, you'll call someone before putting yourself in danger."

"If I have the chance, I will. Are you worried about me?"

"More worried about losing our sitter if you get seriously hurt. Who's going to watch Thomas when Amy and I need a break?"

"Is that all I'm good for? Watching your kid?"

"Well, it's not your skills as a bartender, I thought you knew. No Franky tonight?"

"Not tonight."

"Is she single yet?"

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news. She's still in a committed relationship. Like you."

"Stupid Bridget. I love her, but damn her for stealing my woman."

"Your woman?"

"She flirts with me every time I see her."

"The only reason she flirts with you is to get a free drink from time to time."

"She's kissed me too. More than once."

"She'll kiss anything that walks if she's drunk enough."

"I'm telling you, deep down, she wants me."

"I doubt that. You do know how the lesbian thing works, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I can dream, can't I? Anyway, who's this? Are you going to introduce us?" He turns his attention to Bea, nodding to her in greeting.

"Yeah, sorry, that's rude of me. This is my friend, Bea. Bea, this is Adam, he's Thomas' dad. He owns this fine establishment."

"Hi," Bea says.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I hope my little one wasn't being a bother. He's constantly trying to get friendly with customers."

"He was no bother at all."

"He was fine, he even paid her a compliment."

"He did? What did you say, son?"

"She's pretty."

"That's my boy. I tell him to always let a pretty woman know she's pretty, it might just make her day. And he's right, you sure are."

"Thanks," Bea replies shyly, her cheeks feeling a touch warmer.

She's gotten more compliments in one night than she has in probably an entire year. They're not something she's used to hearing, each one seems to make her blush.

"If that's so, how come he's never said that to me?"

"I'll let you work that one out yourself, Allie. So, what can I get for you two? I take it you're not here just talk to me all night."

"The usual. I told Bea you have the best pizza in the city, don't make me out to be a liar."

"Thanks for putting the pressure on me. I'll get my cook on that. Sit tight and I'll be back soon."

"Thank you, Adam."

"All right little man, let's let Allie and her friend have some adult time."

"Okay."

Thomas gives Allie a final hug then he takes Adam's hand and leaves the booth. Bea hands the boy his drawing before they walk away. He smiles at her, she can't help but reciprocate.

"I like her," he tells Adam as they head in the direction of the kitchen.

"So, that's your boss?"

"Yes and no, when he's not working here, he is. His wife Amy is my actual boss, they own the bar together. They're both friends of Kaz too, they've known her for a long time, even before I met her.

They're good people, they've always treated me like I'm part of the family. They trust me enough to let me babysit Thomas from time to time."

"That kid is adorable. I really thought he was yours, you look a lot alike. You could pass as his mom."

"I know, it's crazy. He looks more like me than Amy. Could you imagine that though? He would be screwed if I was his parent."

"Why do you say that?"

"Last I checked, ex junkies and whores aren't exactly mother material."

Bea makes a face when she says that. She knows it's most likely jokes, but the word Allie just used to refer to herself doesn't sit well with her.

"Why the frown?"

"Because I don't like it when you call yourself that."

"No?"

"No. You're so much more than that. Ex is the keyword here, that's not who you are."

"I know, it doesn't change the fact of my past though. How about drug user and people pleaser? Is that better?"

"I guess I can accept that. I know you're joking when you say it, but I just don't like the 'W' word all that much. I've been on the receiving end more than a few times. It doesn't feel so great."

Whore was one of Harry's go-to insults. If she happened to look another man's way for too long. If she did anything that he saw as flirting with another man.

If she wore too much make up for his liking, or if she wore clothes he felt were too revealing. Hearing that was a heavy blow to any confidence she had.

Allie feels a little guilty now, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Consider it gone from my vocabulary. I'll cut back on the self-deprecating too, starting tonight."

"Thank you."

"Now, can you turn your frown upside down? I'd much rather see you smile. I like it better that way."

Bea smiles slightly in response, "I sure can. And for what it's worth, I think you'd make an excellent parent."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're so kind and caring to people, there's no doubt you'd show the same to a child. From what I saw with Thomas, you're pretty good with kids."

"Well, thanks. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to have a rugrat of my own. Which I doubt, because pregnancy doesn't sound fun."

"It's not the greatest. It wasn't for me, anyway. I spent the first couple of months with my head in the toilet almost every morning."

"Yeah, that's definitely not for me. I also get tired after spending one night with Thomas, eighteen years of that? No thanks.

For now, I'll stick to loving other people's kids. I'd rather be like the fun aunt that all of the kids adore. The one that drinks wine at noon, has a ton of cats, and has a fear of dying alone."

"You had one of those, didn't you? That sounded oddly specific."

"Didn't you?"

Bea shakes her head in the negative, "Tell me about yours."

"She was my mom's sister. I thought she was cool when I was a kid, she used to let me and my brother do pretty much whatever when we were with her.

But now that I'm older I realize she was majorly depressed and a raging alcoholic. God, that's sad. Never mind, if I start acting like that, be a good friend and get me some help."

"If it doesn't happen to me first."

"Let's start a pact right now, then. If one of us shows signs of turning into my aunt, the other has to help them out. Deal?"

Allie reaches across the table to make a pinky promise. Bea does the same.

"Deal. Adam said you're his favorite customer. Do you come here often?"

"Up until recently, I haven't been here in a few months. Franky and I used to eat here pretty regularly for a long time. It was like a tradition for us.

We had to cut back eventually, that's the real reason I haven't been in. Eating so much pizza, it makes having a flat stomach quite difficult." Allie pats her stomach to make her point.

"You don't look like you eat pizza all that often."

"I'm blessed with a decently fast metabolism."

"Lucky you."

Bea looks around the small restaurant. She's reminded of the first date she ever went on when she was just Debbie's age, with a boy from school. The place he took her had the same almost intimate atmosphere to it.

So long ago now, she can't remember his face or his name. Strangely, the thing she can remember vividly from that night is the color of his vomit. The poor guy was either nervous or hit with an untimely case of food poisoning.

Towards the end of their date, his dinner came back up, effectively spoiling the mood and bringing their night to an end. That was the last time she ever saw him, he moved away shortly after.

"This is a pretty romantic spot. You bring all the girls here?" Bea jokes.

"Only the pretty ones, but I made an exception just for you."

"Wow, that really helps my self-esteem."

"I'm kidding. Trust me, you're one of the pretty ones."

"So that means you think I'm pretty?"

"I do. You sound surprised."

"I've never heard it much. Harry wasn't exactly one to give me compliments."

"Well, he was an asshole and didn't know how to treat you."

"Ha, he sure was."

"You're super pretty, if you didn't know. Like, it should be illegal for you to look how you do."

"I see you tore a page out of Franky's book of compliments."

"I did. How did I do?"

"If I had to rate it, I'd give it a five."

"Out of five, right?"

"Out of ten."

"That low? Damn, I guess I should step my game up. On a serious note, you look great. I'm honestly a bit jealous."

"Thank you. But what do you have to jealous of? You're way better looking than I am."

"I'm not that great."

"You are though, you're so…"

"So what?"

"Nothing, never mind."

Allie leans forward, curious about what Bea is hesitant to say.

"Tell me."

"You're beautiful."

Bea blushes some, she didn't expect to be saying this thought out loud. She suddenly finds the napkin in her lap the most interesting thing in the room.

Allie's been called beautiful many times in her life by many different people. But hearing it from Bea, now that's something. She hides her blush with her glass as she takes a well-timed sip of her drink.

"You just gave me a compliment. Where's the real Bea, and what have you done with her?"

To make a joke, Allie stands from the booth before putting a hand to her forehead, looking around the restaurant as if she's scanning the horizon for the "real" Bea.

Bea reaches out to pull her back into her seat, "I've complimented you before. Now sit down, you dork. People are staring."

Allie sits back down and sends a brilliant grin Bea's way, "But seriously, thank you for saying that."

"It's not a big deal, it's just a compliment. I'm sure that's not the first time you've heard it."

"It's not, but it's different coming from you."

"How so? What makes it different?"

Their conversation is interrupted when Adam returns with their food. He sets plates in front of them, the pizza tray on a stand in the middle of the table.

"You two enjoy. Hey, Bea, if I can just say, you're a big upgrade from the last girl that came in with Allie. I like you a lot more."

"What did you have against Jessica, Adam?"

"She was a total bitch, for one."

Bea expects Allie to be offended. Instead, she laughs.

"Maybe she was."

"But that's not why you kept her around, was it?"

"No, it wasn't."

Adam leaves them to it, "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Jessica?"

"I dated her for a couple of months. It didn't work out very well."

"Oh? How come?"

"She wasn't always the nicest. She was pretty insecure and jealous, she accused me of cheating a lot. She also didn't like how close I was with Franky or Kaz.

I guess she got fed up so told me to pick, either cut ties with them or she would walk away. I showed her the door and told her to lose my number, something I should've done sooner than I did."

"If she didn't treat you well, why did you keep her around?"

"Selfish reasons, mostly. It wasn't her personality, that's for sure. Let's just say she made up for her bitchiness in other ways."

"Oh, I see."

Bea knows what she's insinuating. She's somewhat uncomfortable talking about that topic, so she just leaves it at that.

"Enough about my failed relationships. Why don't we eat instead?"

Bea agrees, she worked up an appetite on their walk over. She takes a slice and takes a bite of it, looking at Allie in surprise, "Shit. You were right. This might be the best pizza I've ever had."

"I told you. It was worth the walk, wasn't it?"

"I don't know about that. Next time, let's just drive instead, if that's okay."

"Of course. By the way, I think Adam's right. You are an upgrade."

"Am I really? You're not just saying that?"

"No, it's true. You are."

Towards the end of their meal, Adam walks out from the kitchen with a sleeping Thomas cradled in his arms. He stops by the table to say good-bye.

"Need to get my boy home. Don't be a stranger, Allie. And tell Kaz hi for me."

"Will do."

"It was nice meeting you, Bea. Do me a favor and keep Allie out of trouble."

"I'll try, but no promises."

"You two have a nice night, don't do anything I wouldn't."

The two of them finish eating not long after he leaves. Bea checks the time, surprised to see it's almost ten o'clock.

"We've been here over an hour already?"

"It doesn't feel like it it's been that long. But you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun."

"It sure does."

Allie stacks their plates, setting them on the now empty pizza tray, "I'd say we're done here. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Bea stands from the booth, "I'll pay."

"Let me. It's the least I could do for making you walk so far."

Allie moves to get up, Bea shakes her head, "No, it's on me this time."

"Fine."

Bea walks off towards the counter near the front door. When she gets there, the girl working behind the counter stops her from pulling out her wallet.

"You're Bea, right? You came with Allie?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Your bill is already taken care of. It's on the house tonight."

"I can't take a freebee. At least let me pay for our drinks."

"Boss's orders. He said friends of Allie's are friends of his. I can call him if you like."

"No, that's fine. Thank you."

"How was everything tonight?"

"It was great."

"Great. I hope you don't mind me saying, but you two make a cute couple. You look so happy together."

"Her and I? Oh… we're not together."

"You're not?"

"No, we're just friends."

"Could've fooled me, it sure looked like you're a couple out on a date. Sorry for assuming. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Thanks," Bea says over her shoulder, walking back over to Allie.

"That was weird."

"What was?"

"Adam gave us a free meal."

"He did? That's nice of him. But why is that weird?"

"That's not what I mean, the girl working behind the counter thought you and I are an item."

"What did she say?"

"We make a cute couple, and it looked like we were on a date."

"This was a date."

"It was?"

"Why do you think I brought you all this way? To one of my favorite places? I probably should have been more clear."

"Hold on, where is this coming from? I told you that I'm only looking to be… oh. You're kidding."

"Duh. I wouldn't spring something like that on you. Call this a friend date."

"Friend date?"

"You've never heard of one? It's just like a date, but with a friend instead. I do it with Franky all the time. We take turns taking each other out for a night. Dinner, movies, you name it."

"Is that actually a thing, or are you just messing with me?"

"Maybe it's not an official thing, but it's what she and I do."

"Huh. Okay, well, I for one enjoyed our friend date."

"Me too. Let's get out of here."

They walk out of the restaurant, Allie heads in a different direction than the one they came.

"Where are we going now?"

"On a detour. I want to take you somewhere, I want to show you something that's not a prostitute or a homeless guy. If you don't mind being out a bit later."

"I don't mind, lead the way."

Allie navigates a few side streets, it's not long until they reach a park. Bea takes a look at the weathered playground equipment.

"This is what you wanted to show me?"

"Not quite."

Allie cuts across the playground, following signs for a paved walking trail. They start ascending, Bea loses sight of the park, her view being obstructed by trees.

They walk a fair distance until Allie stops. She takes out her phone to use the flashlight, she shines it through the trees on her left.

She walks forward a few steps then waves Bea over. She points her light at an opening in the trees, a small path cutting through them that leads into the darkness.

"No way I'm going in there."

"Why not?"

"I've seen the movies, there's a serial killer just waiting for us."

"Where's your sense of adventure, Bea? The chance of being murdered is part of the thrill."

"You're nuts."

"Maybe so. If you really don't want to go in, wait here. I'll be back."

Allie steps off the trail into the trees, Bea quickly follows. She feels like she'd be a bad friend if she doesn't at least take a look at what Allie wants to show her. That, and she'd feel even worse if something did actually happen to her.

"Thought so. Watch your head." Allie holds a branch out of the way, letting Bea go ahead of her.

The path curves to the right then widens just enough for them to walk side by side. Bea's hand finds its way into Allie's again. She feels on edge being led into the dark like this.

"You scared?"

"I feel like I should be. I don't know where you're taking me."

"You don't, I would never put you in danger if you're worried about that. Not on purpose, anyway."

The sincerity in her voice puts Bea at ease. After a short walk uphill, they step out of the trees into a clearing. They're at a small overlook that gives a great view of the city below and the distant skyscrapers. It didn't seem like they climbed this high in elevation.

There's a wooden bench and a low stone wall, the only thing separating them from a lethal fall. Bea peers over the edge, seeing the park they just crossed. Allie turns her light off and sits on the bench, patting the spot next to her. Bea sits, looking out over the city, all the lights shining brightly. She's never seen it like this.

"This is amazing."

"Right?"

"Deb would love this."

"You think this is cool, look up." Allie leans back, pointing a finger to the sky.

Bea looks up, in awe at such a clear view of the stars. Allie points out a few different constellations in the sky.

"How did you find this spot?"

"Dumb luck. I saw someone walk out through the trees, so I checked it out after they were gone. I always make it a point to come here when I'm in this part of town."

"Thank you for showing me this."

"No problem."

"Thanks for getting me out of the house too. I had a good time tonight, it was fun. I can't remember the last time I went out to do something I wanted."

"You can't?"

"I never had much of a social life. Harry made sure of that. I did go out, but it was with him, and it was always doing what he wanted with who he wanted. Most of the time though, I worked and went home, that was about it.

I had to be home by a certain time to have dinner on the table when he got home from work. If I didn't... you can probably guess what happened."

"He hurt you over stuff like that?"

"He did. All it took was little things to set him off. One time, I burned dinner because I was busy time helping Deb with her homework. He acted like it was the world's worst offense.

I got the skillet thrown at me for that one. Luckily the food wasn't that hot when he did it, but it still burned me."

Allie shakes her head in disgust, "Fucking bastard. If I ever get my hands on him again, I swear I'll kill him. Sorry, I probably shouldn't talk that way. But guys like him, there's nothing I hate more."

"It's okay, don't be sorry. To be honest, I thought about it a time or two. If I could've gotten away with it, I might have done it."

"I don't blame you. Hypothetically, if it came down to it, I would've helped you hide the body."

"Really?"

"Yep. If I had to, I'd even take the fall and go to prison for you. Would you visit me?"

"I'd do one better and get myself arrested so you wouldn't have to be alone in there."

"Aww, you would do that for me?"

"What else are best friends for? You know, now that I think about it, I guess I can thank him."

"For what?"

"For treating me like he did. That sounds bad. What I mean is, if he didn't treat me so poorly, I probably wouldn't have met you. So in a way, I'm thankful."

"I like the way you think. I'm glad I met you, you know."

"I am too."

"So, it sounds to me that you have some going out to catch up on. What did you think about bowling, did you like it?"

"I really did, I definitely see the appeal. I should bring Deb along next time."

"You should. Hopefully we can make it a regular thing."

"I think I'd like that. Bowling and eating pizza? There's worse ways for us to spend time together."

"That's true."

"Besides bowling, what else do you do for fun? Any secret hobbies?"

"Um, not really. I'll read a book if it's good, or I'll binge the occasional TV show. I go out with Franky sometimes, but I usually prefer to stay home.

I had my fill of excitement when I was younger, so now I mostly stick to myself and stay in. I sort of prefer my own company. I bet that makes me sound boring."

"I like boring."

"What about your hobbies? You're in good shape, any sports to help with that?"

"Sports, no. I do go to the gym, I might go for a run sometimes, but that's it. Other than drawing, I don't have much in the way of hobbies.

Like you, I'll read a book I like or watch a good series if I find one. I'm kind of a home-body, bars and clubs aren't really my thing."

"So if I want a quiet night in, you're the first person I can call?"

"Sure."

"Good to know."

They sit quietly for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the city and crickets chirping. It's peaceful, it's warm, and it's fairly quiet. If someone told Bea two weeks ago that she'd be sitting on a bench this late at night with a wonderful person and friend, she probably wouldn't have believed them.

"What do you say, are you ready to get a move on? We should head back before it gets too late."

"Let's go."

Bea takes one last look before they leave. They retrace their steps through the park, eventually passing the restaurant again, now closed for the night. The walk to the restaurant was long, but the walk back to the bowling alley feels like it takes twice as long with full stomachs.

"We should have driven, lesson learned," Allie complains on the way.

They walk by a bus stop, Allie all but falls onto the bench.

"I just need to sit for a few minutes, I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Bea sits right next to her and they watch some cars pass by. There's something that's been on Bea's mind tonight, she feels now might be a good time to bring it up.

"Allie, can I ask you a question?"

"What kind of question?"

"A personal one, I guess."

"My favorite. Okay, go for it."

"Uh..."

"Bea?"

"This was easier in my head. You know what, forget it."

"Come on, don't leave me hanging like that. Just ask me. You can ask me anything, you know that."

"Fine. Are you… are you attracted to me or something?"

"What was that?" Allie tries her best to pretend she heard her wrong. Not likely, since they're right next to each other.

"You heard me."

"I don't know how to answer that. Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm not clueless, I can see how you look at me sometimes. Like tonight. Unless your head moving my way every time I bent over to pick up a ball was a coincidence."

"How did you…"

"The mirrors all around the bowling alley."

Allie's embarrassed now, she thought she was being subtle enough. Franky warned her that Bea would notice at some point, but did she listen? No.

"I'm sorry. You probably think I'm a creep."

"It's fine, I don't think that. So that answers my question."

"Yeah, if you must know, I am. To be honest, I knew it the first time we met."

"You did?"

"I did."

"So you weren't just looking at how beat up I was that day."

"No, I wasn't."

"Didn't you say I'm not your type?"

"I lied about that. You know I wouldn't… you said what you said about just being friends, I'll respect that."

"Thank you. Sorry to put you on the spot like that, but I was just curious."

"It's okay. Since we're asking personal questions, is it fair if I ask you the same thing?"

"No."

"No it's not fair? Or…"

"No, I'm not. I mean, you are… you look… you know. But I don't, I'm not..." Now that the question is flipped, Bea stumbles through her reply.

_ Smooth, Bea. _

She tries again, "You are attractive, anybody could see that. I wouldn't call you beautiful if you weren't, but I'm not attracted. If that makes sense."

_ And there goes that hope._

"That makes sense."

"I'm curious now, have I done something to make you think I am?"

"Just asked because you did."

"Are you sure? I feel like you wouldn't be asking if I didn't."

"That day I helped you in the shower. You were looking pretty hard."

"That was… I was just surprised, I didn't expect you to be talking your shirt off. Sorry if I made you think something different."

"It's no problem. It doesn't bother you knowing that I am, does it? I hope it won't make things weird for us."

"It won't, I'm not uncomfortable with it if that's what you think. It doesn't bother me."

"Good. So now that that's out of the way, shall we head back?"

"Yeah."

Allie stands, offering a hand that Bea takes. She pulls her to her feet, they begin to walk the remaining distance back to their cars. They come back to the same busy section of the road. Allie looks at Bea expectantly.

"Do we have to? Isn't there a crosswalk close by?"

"If you feel like walking a bit longer."

Bea sighs and puts her hand out for Allie to grab once again. Their journey finally comes to an end, they're back to their cars.

"Are you good to drive?"

Bea knows Allie had quite a few drinks tonight. And from the stories Franky has told her, she's supposedly a bit of a lightweight.

"I probably shouldn't. Can you give me a lift?"

"Sure thing."

Allie double checks to make sure her car is locked then joins Bea in hers.

"Shit, I knew I should've run to the bathroom first."

"You can use mine, we're close enough."

Allie gives her directions, Bea pulls into her driveway a short five minutes later. She parks then follows Allie to the front door.

"You're gonna kill me."

"Why?"

"I forgot my house key."

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"I am."

"Oh good, I probably would've had to pee in your yard."

"Surprisingly, you wouldn't be the first person to do that."

"I wouldn't?"

"Franky got drunk and locked herself out somehow one time. Our neighbors got quite the show."

"Have you?"

"Hell no, I use the bushes on the side of the house like a civilized person," Allie replies in a tone that Bea can't tell if she's joking or not.

"Not to rush you, but I really do need to go."

"Right, sorry. Welcome to my humble abode," Allie gestures with an arm once they're inside and she's turned on some lights.

Bea takes a quick gander. To the left is the kitchen, a small table underneath a chandelier in the center of the room. To the right, the living room, a single sectional couch and a large TV mounted on the wall.

On the walls are pictures of Franky, Allie, Bridget, and who Bea assumes is Kaz. An older blonde with piercing blue eyes much like Allie's.

"It's nice. So, bathroom?"

"Upstairs, second door on the right."

Bea walks upstairs, flipping the switch for the hall light. She passes by the first door, stopping after something catches her eye. The drawing she gave to Allie, displayed on the wall in a small frame with ocean themes.

She knew Allie liked it, she didn't realize just how much though. She goes into the bathroom. When she's out, she looks at the drawing again before turning off the light and making her way back downstairs.

"My drawing, you hung it up. I didn't know you liked it that much."

"Oh yeah, I loved it. Like I said, it meant a lot to me. You're really talented. Do you ever think about selling them? Your sketches."

"No way, they're not that good."

"Are you serious? You're a wonderful artist."

"Thanks. I'm drawing another one, if you're interested in having it?"

"Absolutely. What is it?"

"It's me and you. One of the pictures we took. It's almost done, I'll give it to you soon."

"Great, I can't wait. I'll have to buy another frame."

Bea yawns, it's later than usual for her to be out and about, "I better get home. I'm exhausted."

She heads for the door, turning around to face Allie. She stands still for a few seconds before pulling her in for a quick hug.

"Thanks for tonight."

Allie notes this is the first time she's initiated one. She follows Bea out the front door to the porch.

"Let me know when you make it home."

"Will do, Mom."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know you made it home safely."

"Thanks for caring. See you sometime soon?"

"Try and stop me."

Allie waits for Bea to get in her car and drive off, giving her a last wave before going back inside.

"She called me beautiful," Allie tells the empty house, smiling to herself. That compliment sure stuck with her for some reason.

"Who did?" She hears Franky's voice from the top of the stairs, making her jump. She wasn't expecting her to be home.

"Bea."

Franky walks further down the stairs, "Oh, did she now? How'd that come up?"

"Well, I took her to Adam's restaurant."

"Without me? What the hell? If I knew you were going, I would've come along."

"Last minute decision, sorry. Anyway, she made a joke about me taking girls there and I told her I only take the pretty ones because… well, you've seen her. Then she said I'm beautiful after that."

Allie smiles brightly again, Franky laughs.

"You're like a giddy little girl, you know."

"I can't help it. Makes me happy I guess, I haven't been complimented in a while."

"You mean you haven't been complimented by someone you have a crush on."

"I don't have a crush on her."

"Just admit it, you're starting to like her more and more."

"I… I like her, sure. But I don't like, like her."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you cancel on going out with that Kim chick? You wanted to see Red instead, didn't you?"

"Not just her, you too."

"You see me every day."

"Fuck, fine. I wanted to see her. I like spending time with her, what's so wrong about that?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. Look, just be careful with her. If you catch feelings for her, you know?"

"I know. But if I do, nothing's gonna come of it. I made an agreement with her, just friends. Besides, she's not attracted to me, she told me that."

"You asked her?"

"She asked first. You were right, she noticed the way I look at her. So I figured why not ask her the same, she said no. I'm attractive but she's not attracted."

"Huh. Looks like I was wrong all along, then. I figured with the way she was looking at you tonight, there was no doubt."

"She was looking at me tonight?"

"How are you so oblivious when it comes to this?"

"Maybe she's just really subtle."

"It's usually when you're looking the other way, Gidge noticed too. But, I guess you got your answer from her, there's no wondering anymore."

"Not anymore."

"Unless she's in denial or something, could be why she said no. Not to get your hopes up or anything, but it's possible."

"Yeah, I won't hold my breath though."

"She thinks I'm pretty."

Bea finds herself smiling like a fool on the drive back to her house. She doesn't know why it made her so happy to hear that.

Knowing that Allie's attracted to her is a strange feeling. It's not that it bothers her, she just isn't quite sure how to feel about it. She didn't think Allie saw her in that way.

There's far better looking women out there, so why me?

Twenty minutes later, Bea makes it home. She goes through her nightly routine, then slips into bed. She finds her phone to send Allie a message.

_it home safe and sound._

_**Good, I was just about to send a search party. I'm glad you had fun tonight. You and Bridget seemed to hit it off.**_

_Yeah, I think we did, I like her. _

_**We'll have to get together with her and Franky again soon. I'd love to stay up and chat with you, but my eyes are getting pretty heavy. So sweet dreams.**_

_Same here, good night._

_Hey_, _one more thing._

_**Yeah?**_

_For being a fake date, that was better than any real one I've been on._

_**Really?**_

_Really._

_**Well if I can be honest, that was better than a lot of the ones I've been on too.**_

_Are you sure about that?_

_**Wouldn't say it otherwise. Next time, you're taking me out. Oh, and thanks for calling me beautiful.**_

_That really meant a lot to you, didn't it? You're welcome. I guess I should say thanks for calling me pretty._


	16. XVI

Bea has a hard time falling asleep. Once her head hits the pillow, her mind begins to wander back to that conversation with Allie. The more she thinks about it, the less she knows if telling Allie she's not attracted to her was the truth, or if she said it out of panic at having the question turned on her.

Still unable to sleep after tossing and turning for some time with the thought swirling around in her head, she does the thing that seems to work best to calm her active mind. She finds her sketchbook, deciding to finish up that drawing she plans to give to Allie. She's awake drawing for another hour, managing to finish before falling asleep.

The next morning, Bea wakes up after she feels a weight at the foot of the bed. She props herself up on an elbow, seeing Deb sitting cross-legged, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning."

Bea sits up fully, letting out a yawn and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Morning. Why are you eating on my bed?"

"Don't know, more comfortable than the table, I guess."

"At least give me a bite."

"Hands off."

Deb holds the bowl out of reach protectively, slapping Bea's hand away. She scoots further back on the bed when Bea tries to grab it again.

"But I'm so hungry. I'm withering as we speak."

"Then get up and make your own. I worked hard on this."

"Because pouring milk and cereal into a bowl is such a daunting task."

"I had to get out of bed and walk to the kitchen too."

"Oh, you poor thing. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Thank you, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. How was your night? Everything you hoped for?"

"It was a lot of fun, you'll have to come along next time. Franky taught me how to bowl. Turns out I'm a natural at it. I had her beat both games."

"How'd she take it? You got a look at her competitive side, I'm guessing."

"Yeah, she accused me of lying about my abilities."

"Of course she did. How was meeting Bridget, did you like her?"

"I did, she's great. You're right, it's funny how Franky is around her."

"So you still had a good time without Allie there?"

"No, she ended up coming after all. It was nice seeing her, I'm glad she was there."

"She did? I thought she was going out with someone?"

"She was, but she canceled with them. She said something about it that stood out to me. Maybe I'm overthinking it though."

"What did she say?"

"I asked her why she didn't go, and she said she wanted to see me instead. She backtracked and said she meant Franky and Bridget too. I don't know, what do you think? Am I just putting too much thought into it?"

"I think she did want to see you instead. I think she might like you."

"I like her too."

"No, I mean _like_ you," she adds for extra emphasis on the word.

"You think she likes me like that? That can't be it, can it?"

"I could be wrong, maybe she doesn't. I don't know if you've noticed, but at the very least, it's pretty obvious she's attracted to you. That's what it looks like to me, anyway."

"I know she is, I actually found that out last night. I asked her."

"You asked her? Why?"

"I don't know, I was just wondering why she looks at me the way she does sometimes."

"So you aren't oblivious to it."

"No, I've noticed her a few times since we met. But last night, she wasn't the most subtle about it."

"What happened last night?"

"Almost every time I bent over to pick up a ball, her head was moving my way. I thought it was a coincidence at first, but it happened a couple of times."

"It was the pants, I'm telling you they're tight. So it doesn't bother you knowing that about her?"

"Of course not. I just… I don't know what she sees in me. There's better looking women than me out there."

"I think what she sees is how beautiful you are."

"I'm not though."

"You are too. I know Dad probably made you feel like you're not, but it's true. You know how happy I am that I have most of your looks?

That's what she sees. You're red hot. That's why Franky calls you Red, by the way. It's not because of your hair."

"Seriously? She thinks I'm hot?"

"I don't know for sure. But she's checked you out once or twice, she's just a lot better than Allie at being subtle about it."

"She has? How do you notice these things?"

"I have eyes like a hawk."

"Interesting. Thanks for saying that, kiddo, you sure know how to make me feel good about myself."

"Just thought you should know. Did she say anything else?"

"She's known it since we met. And that she'll respect me just wanting to be friends. Then she turned the question on me."

"I have no doubt she'll respect that. And? What did you tell her?"

"I told her no. Because I'm not."

"You're not? It's not mutual?"

"I… no, it's not mutual."

"You hesitated."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did."

"Whatever. What would even make you think I am?"

"No need to get defensive."

"I'm not being defensive."

"You so are. Come on, Mom. You can't say that she's the only one doing the looking. I mean, I guess I don't blame you, Allie's really pretty."

"So I see that she's good looking, it's not that big of a deal."

"I didn't say it is."

"And that's where it ends. It's nothing more than that."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"You always flare your nostrils when you lie."

Bea lies back down with a heavy sigh, pulling the blanket up and covering her face with it to hide her red cheeks.

"You are, aren't you?

Bea folds the blanket down just enough to uncover her head, looking up to the ceiling, "I don't know what I am anymore. I told her no, and I've been telling myself I'm not, but…"

"But what?"

"I was thinking about it a lot before I went to bed last night. And the more I think about it, I don't know if that's true. Deb, I think I actually might be. What should I do?" She picks her head up to see what Deb has to say.

"Why are you asking me? I don't have any experience with this."

"I don't have anyone else. And I'm not about to ask Allie for advice. Could you imagine how awkward that conversation would be?"

"You could ask Maxine, she usually gives good advice."

"I could. But maybe you can give me some for right now."

"Just do what you want to. Tell Allie or don't, it's up to you. I hope that helps."

"For now, I'm just going to sit on it. I'm really not ready for that. And I'm not totally sure what I'm feeling."

"So, besides Allie checking you out, did anything else interesting happen?"

"A few things."

"Such as?"

"I got hit on."

"You did? Do tell."

"Her name was Jen. I guess she had been looking at me all night, but I didn't notice. Allie did though and she pointed her out to me. We were sitting there when she came up to me."

"What did she say?"

"She thought I was the most beautiful woman in the place. She asked if she could give me her number, and she wanted to get a drink sometime."

"See, I told you you are. What did you say?"

"I froze up, I didn't know what to say. That's never happened to me before. Luckily Allie saw, and she bailed me out."

"How?"

"Acted like we were together. She just put her hand on my shoulder and called me babe."

"Smart."

"She said she's had to do it with Franky on occasion."

"You got home pretty late."

"I went with Allie to grab a bite to eat. She took me to the best pizza place, you'll have to try it."

They spend some time talking, with Bea filling her in on everything after she and Allie left the bowling alley. She tells of all the things she saw and the things Allie told her.

"She said what? Her finger?"

"It was so funny now that I think about it. I've never heard her talk like that."

"How did the guy react?"

"He just laughed."

"It sounds like she took you on quite the adventure."

"She sure did. It was a nice change of pace."

"Good. So, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Well, I've been talking to Brayden more, and he asked if I want to go on a date, next weekend. He wants to go to dinner and a movie. Can I go?"

"Do I get to meet him? I promise to play nice."

"Yeah."

"You can go. Oh, your first date. My little girl, you're growing up."

"I've been grown since like fifteen. Don't get all emotional on me, please."

"I'm not. Where is he taking you?"

"I don't know yet. He wanted me to make sure I can go first."

"So, this boy, does he know about your dad? Did you tell him anything?"

"He does know, but I didn't tell him any details. I just said he wasn't all that good to you, and he's not in the picture anymore. He was understanding about it."

"That's good. What about his parents, are you going to meet them?"

"He's only got one parent, and she's in prison."

"Really? Did he say what for?"

"No, and I didn't ask. I didn't think it was any of my business. I know he goes to visit her sometimes."

"Hm. And what about his dad? He passed away I'm guessing?"

"When he was little. He was in an accident at work."

A dead dad and a mom in prison. That's rough, Bea thinks to herself.

"Does he have any other family?"

"He has an uncle. Well, he's not really his uncle, but he's a good friend of the family. He lives with him."

"So, do you like him?"

"I like him a lot. He's really nice to me."

The next ten minutes are spent with Deb telling Bea all about this boy and how they met. It makes Bea so happy to see the way she smiles when he's the subject of their conversation.

Bea is trying to convince Deb to give her a bite of cereal, listing all the reasons why she should, number one being that she gave her the gift of life, when her phone rings.

Deb finds it and hands it over, "It's Allie."

"Hello," Bea answers in the middle of a yawn.

"Sorry, were you still sleeping? I can call back later."

"You're fine, I'm awake. What are you up to?"

"I was calling to see if you can take me over to get my car. Franky can't, and I need to go to the shelter this morning to help Kaz with a few things."

If Bea's honest, the last thing she wants to do is leave her bed right now. She's quite comfortable and feeling a bit lazy today.

"Do you mind if Deb does it? I just woke up a little bit ago and I'm not all that ready to get out of bed yet."

"Don't want to see me?"

"Not bad enough to get out of bed."

"I'll remember you saying that. You can send Deb, that's fine. Can it be soon? I need to be at the shelter in about an hour."

"Sure. She'll be on her way in five."

"Great, thank you. Tell her coffee and donuts are on me."

Bea ends the call, she sees Deb eyeing her suspiciously.

"What are you volunteering me for?"

"Allie needs a ride to her car. It's still at the bowling alley, I gave her a ride home last night. That's where you come in."

"Do I have to? I don't feel like going anywhere. Besides, she called you first."

"You see the beauty of having kids? You get to delegate all the things you don't want to do. She said she'll buy you coffee and a donut, does that sweeten the deal?"

"Uh, yeah it does. Why didn't you lead with that?"

"Before you go, will you give this to Allie when you see her?"

Bea takes her sketchbook off of the pillow next to her. She carefully tears out a page before handing it to Deb.

"You drew her another one?"

"Yeah. She really liked the last one, and said if I ever feel like drawing her another, to go ahead."

"It looks great, she'll like it."

Deb neatly folds it in half, making sure not to crinkle it too much. She stands up from the bed, "Guess I should get going. Here, hold this. You can have breakfast in bed."

She takes her bowl and places it carefully on Bea's chest before Bea has a chance to get her arms out from underneath the blanket.

Bea glares at her, "Deb, it's still full of milk."

"So this is what delegating feels like," she winks as she heads out the door.

"Come back here, you little terror. I swear, if this spills…"

"What? I can't hear you, I'm getting further away," she replies, her voice getting quieter. Bea hears the jingle of car keys and the sound of the front door shutting.

She manages to get her good arm out from the blanket, holding the bowl steady while she sits up again. Her stomach growls again, she shrugs, and decides to finish the bowl off.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Deb pulls up in front of Allie's house. She honks the horn twice to announce her arrival, Allie walks out and heads for the car not a minute after that.

"Morning."

"Morning, Deb, thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome."

Deb waits for her to get in the car and buckle her seatbelt before giving her the drawing.

"Here, this is for you."

"Ooh, a present?"

"From Mom. A drawing."

Allie takes the page, smiling brightly at the picture she sees of her and Bea when she unfolds it.

"Aww, I love it. How is she so talented?"

"I have no idea. There's no way I could draw like she does."

"Me neither. I don't have a single artistic bone in my body. I need to get another frame for this."

"You're going to hang it up?"

"Yeah, just like the other one she gave me. Is that weird?"

"No, not at all. It's nice that you like them so much."

"I really do. As promised, how about we go get that coffee?"

"And donut."

"Right, that too. You know that coffee shop on Main? Let's go there. There's this hot barista that I'm trying my luck with."

"Oh yeah?"

"I wish. She stopped working there," Allie sighs, sounding genuinely bummed.

"The one that got away?" Deb asks, looking over her shoulder to back out of the driveway.

"Something like that. I guess I'll just be forever alone now."

"I doubt that. You'll find someone eventually. You might not even have to search that hard."

"What do you mean?"

"Um, I just mean you won't have to look very hard because you're such a catch."

Deb mentally slaps herself, almost accidentally spilling the beans on her conversation with Bea earlier. Luckily, Allie doesn't press further.

"Oh. You think so?"

"I do. You're a great person, and you're drop-dead gorgeous on top of that. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"You're so sweet," Allie gushes at the high praise. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Thank you."

"No thanks needed, Allie."

Allie sends Bea a quick message before she forgets to thank her.

_Thank you for the picture, I love it. Keep the drawings coming, I want a whole wall of them in my room._

_**Glad to hear it. A whole wall could take me a while though.**_

_You better get started then. Luckily for you, I'm a pretty patient person._

_**I'll see what I can do. By the way, I hope you know it's not that I didn't want to see you, I just wasn't ready to face the day yet. Sorry if I came off as rude.**_

_Just don't let it happen again. Seriously though, no need to apologize. I get the same way. You know, if you ever want me to leave you alone for a bit, just say the word. I'm told I can be a touch overbearing sometimes. And I know I have you on your phone more often than not._

**_I don't see it that way, I don't think you're overbearing at all. I really don't mind being on my phone, I'm happy you want to talk to me so much._**

_What can I say, you're good for conversation. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to provide your daughter with a healthy dose of caffeine and sugar. Talk soon._

On their drive, Deb sees Allie out of the corner of her eye still looking at the drawing.

"You really like that one, huh?"

"How could you tell? I know it's just a sketch, but I'm glad she cares to give them to me. I've never gotten something so personal."

"You're the first person she's given them to, other than me."

"I am?"

"Yeah. My dad, she drew him a picture once. She spent a lot of time on it but all he could say was it was a waste of time. She was hurt. After that, she stopped showing them to people very much. Even me."

"That's a shame, I can't imagine putting someone down for doing something they enjoy. Your dad, he really wasn't a nice person, was he?"

"And the understatement of the year award goes to Allie Novak."

"I figured calling him an asshole in front of you would be impolite."

"Screw being polite, that's exactly what he was. I don't get it, he was nice to me, and he was nice to other women. But Mom, I still don't understand why he was so cruel to her. She never did anything to him, it's like he hated her just for existing."

"There's just people in this world with hate in their heart, and they take it out on other people. Even the innocent ones, unfortunately. She deserved so much better than that."

"She sure did. But on the bright side, she doesn't have to worry about him anymore."

"True that, she can live her life now. She gets to do what she wants when she wants, with whoever she wants."

Deb makes it to the coffee shop after a short drive. Allie still has some time to kill, they decide to go inside instead of using the drive-through. Deb finds them a seat and Allie gets her order before heading up to the counter.

"What do you want?"

"Caramel macchiato and a chocolate donut, cream filled. That's my favorite."

"Me too. I want to get something for your mom, what does she like?"

"Just a regular glazed."

"How does she take her coffee?"

"Black."

"She's a bit plain-Jane, I see."

Allie comes back with their coffee and donuts. She drops them by the table then takes a quick trip to the bathroom. She's back just in time to witness Deb eating half of her donut in one huge bite.

"Jesus, no one's going to take it from you," Allie laughs, sitting back down and taking a much more reasonable bite of her own.

Deb simply shrugs, washing it down with a large gulp of coffee and wiping her mouth with a napkin, "Can't be too careful."

She takes another bite, significantly smaller than the first, "Thanks for taking Mom out last night. She said she had a nice time. She told me all about it."

"I had a good time too, it was nice to see her having fun."

"And not to get all mushy, but I really do appreciate everything you've done for her. You're so nice to her, and you treat her how she deserves to be."

"Well, Bea's a wonderful person. I would never treat her any less than that."

"I'm sure you wouldn't."

"And you, you're pretty wonderful too."

"Thanks."

"It's not just one-sided either. I'd say she treats me pretty well too. Not a lot of people showed me the same respect she has after learning about my old life.

The fact that she didn't judge me for any of it, and still wanted to be my friend, that means more to me than I think she knows."

"I think she does know. You know something, when I first met Franky, she said she couldn't ask for a better friend than you. I think she's right. I couldn't ask for better for me or for Mom."

Allie feels herself getting a little choked up at such kind words coming from Deb. She refuses to let even a single tear fall though.

"Thanks, Deb, you're just full of compliments for me today. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now."

"That's what I was going for. Just want you to know you're appreciated."

"I definitely feel appreciated. And just for that, you get a hug."

"I'd rather not."

"Too bad, should've thought about that before you got all mushy. Now come here."

Allie stands up and steps to Deb's side of the table.

"People are watching."

"So? Just a quick hug."

Deb stands up, quickly hugging her before trying to squirm away. Allie holds onto her tightly, Deb manages to get out of her grasp after quite the struggle.

"Okay, that's enough. You're lucky I like you."

"You do? It sure doesn't seem like it, you won't even hug me in public."

Deb rolls her eyes, "Whatever. In case you have any doubts, I like you a lot, and Mom likes you a lot."

"I like her too. She's a good friend to me."

They take a break from conversing to drink their coffee and people-watch, something they both enjoy. They make a game of trying to guess what other customers in the coffee shop are saying by reading their lips, coming up with some ridiculous sentences.

"Hey, Allie?"

"What's up?"

"I was wondering, do you think you and Mom will be friends for a long time?"

"If all goes well, I think we will be. I sure hope so, anyway. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking about next year when I leave for school. I'm kind of worried about going, I don't want her to be alone.

I'm really all she's got, I'm her only family. I just want to know that someone's going to be there for her when I'm not around, you know what I mean?"

"I get it, and it's really sweet that you're worried about her like that. But she won't be alone, you know.

She's got me and Franky to hang out with now. I promise to keep her company while you're gone, if she's not sick of me by then."

"Thanks for that. By the way, I really doubt she would get sick of you."

"I hope not. So… how's the boyfriend doing?"

"He's not my boyfriend. But…"

"But?"

"He wants to go on a date."

"Really? Good for you, Deb. Do I get to meet him? I gotta know that he's good enough for you"

"I suppose you can."

"What about Franky? You know she's gonna feel left out."

"God, no. She'll scare the crap out of him. I'll let her meet him another time."

* * *

Two days later, Bea's back at work. She let Maxine know over the weekend that she'll take over managing the salon while she's gone. With her first bout of treatments coming up soon, Maxine spent this morning showing Bea just what it takes to run such a successful salon.

The salon wasn't very busy, giving Maxine plenty of time to go over what she wanted to. When lunchtime rolls around, she and Bea go to a restaurant they frequent.

"Can I get your advice on something?" She asks about the time they finish eating.

"Absolutely. What about?"

"You know my friend, Allie? It's about her. I talked to Deb, but I think I want another opinion."

"I'll see if I can help. So, what is it? Did something happen?"

"Nothing bad. So, I guess to start, she's gay."

"I've never known you to have a problem with that."

"That's not what I'm getting at. I don't have a problem with it. The thing is, I see her looking at me a lot."

Maxine simply nods, showing that she's paying full attention and urging Bea to continue.

"I went bowling with her and some other friends over the weekend, and I caught her looking my way a bit more than usual. We got to talking later on then I asked her if she's attracted to me or something. I was curious, you know? She said she is."

"And you aren't sure how to feel about it?"

"That's part of it. That, and she flipped the question on me."

"You said no."

"I said no."

"But you don't know if that's really how you feel?"

"Right. Wow, it's like you can read my mind. I mean, she's such a pretty girl, it's the first thing I notice every time I see her."

"Do you have proof of this?"

"Yeah."

Bea passes her phone to show Maxine a picture of her and Allie.

"So that's Allie. She's gorgeous. She looks young, how old is she?"

"Oh my god."

"What? Did I ask the wrong question?"

"No, but I just realized, I don't know. I've never asked her."

"That's usually something friends know about each other."

"It's never come up between us."

"So back to this picture."

"Right. So it's not just me that thinks she's good looking?"

"No. She's a very pretty woman, you were right."

"So I'm wondering, why is it so different with her? I've seen some good looking women before, but none of them have been stuck in my head like she has."

"Oh, I see. You want my professional opinion?"

"Please."

"I think you've got the hots for Allie."

She laughs softly at Bea's initial reaction to that statement.

"Don't say it like that. This is so confusing. What does this mean for me? I've never been attracted to other women but Allie... she's different. Have I secretly been gay this whole time? Or bi, or whatever?"

"I couldn't tell you. I will say don't worry too much about what it means for you, you'll end up driving yourself crazy."

"But don't I have to be one of those two things?"

"Not necessarily. Personally, I feel we give those labels too much power. I've always been of the belief that if you find a person that makes you happy, a man or a woman, it doesn't matter what you label yourself. If you want to label yourself, that is."

Bea goes quiet, she starts idly moving food on her plate around with her fork.

Looking at her face, Maxine can tell that she seems to be doing some contemplating.

"Hey, are you okay over there? You're miles away."

Bea looks up from her plate, nodding, "Yeah, I'm just thinking about some things."

"Don't think too hard, all right?"

"I'll try. What do I do now?"

"You don't have to do anything. If you want to see where it goes if the attraction's mutual, then do it. It seems like the option is there. Or if you just want to be her friend, that's completely up to you.

The ball's in your court, Bea. If I can speak freely, you deserve to be happy and it seems to me that's what Allie makes you," she gives Bea a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for your advice. It really helps."

"Don't mention it. You know you can come to me for anything."

They finish up at the restaurant, Bea walks with Maxine back to work with a different outlook on things now. She's still unsure about what to do though, she'll keep it to herself for the time being. Anything more than a friendship with Allie isn't something she feels she's ready for right now and she doesn't know when she will be, or if she ever will be.

Curious about Allie's age, Bea sends her a text before her next client comes in.

_Hey, random question. How old are you?_

**_I turned twenty six a few months ago._**

_Twenty six?_

**_Twenty six. Why do you ask?_**

_Just curious, I realized I've never asked you before. That makes me feel old._

**_Why does that make you feel old? Just how old are you? Sixty?_**

_Sixty two, actually. In all seriousness, I'm a lot older than you though. I'm thirty six._

**_Really? You don't look it one bit. You've aged well._**

_So you're saying I look aged?_

**_Backed myself into a corner here, didn't I? How do I turn this into a compliment?_**

_Very carefully._

**_You know what, I'll just stay silent. So you're ten years older than me. My age doesn't bother you does it?_**

_Not at all. I'm just glad you're so mature for your age. I've met people that act more like teenagers than grown adults._

**_Well if you've lived a life like I have, maturity is kind of a given._**

_And what about you? You don't mind being friends with an old lady like me?_

_**Nope! It doesn't make a difference to me.**_


	17. XVII

The rest of the week flies by, Bea and Debbie are falling back into the groove of their usual routine of work and school, with a few differences. For Deb, it's volunteering at the shelter after school. Allie recently took a temporary role as manager at the bar, meaning she hasn't been able to devote as much time there lately.

So Kaz had her reach out to see if Deb might be interested in helping out, making sure to check with Bea first. Bea had no objections, knowing how much Deb enjoyed the time she spent there with Allie and figuring it couldn't hurt for her to get some life experience.

For Bea, it's Allie. They haven't seen each other since the night they went bowling due to their busier schedules, but they've talked just about every day since. Bea can't remember the last time she talked to someone so much, if ever at all.

Their conversations aren't always particularly in-depth, usually a simple good morning text or telling each other about their days. But with each one, Bea feels they're getting closer and becoming better friends.

The other difference being her position at the salon, a nice change of pace for her. How Maxine managed to run the salon and work with her clients at the same time, Bea doesn't know. She's still getting accustomed to the extra responsibilities she has, but so far, her first days in charge have gone by without a single issue.

Before she knows it, Friday rolls around, and it's the night of Debbie's date with Brayden. She took off work early to help Deb pick something out to wear and style her hair for her.

"You're gonna have to pick eventually," Bea says, looking at the growing pile of clothes on her bed. Even with multiple trips between her closet and Bea's, Deb is still undecided.

Deb chews her bottom lip, arms crossed, "I can't decide. Nothing looks good on me."

"Everything looks great on you, Deb. Come on, pick."

"I don't know."

"Fine. Why don't you take a shower and think about it? You're running out of time to get ready."

While Deb showers, Bea gets started putting the clothes she pulled out back in the closet. She's almost finished when she hears the doorbell ring. She heads to the bathroom where Deb is showering, poking her head in the door.

"Deb, I heard the doorbell. Is that him?"

"It shouldn't be, he's really early if it is. Can you answer the door, please? Let him know I'll be ready soon. Nothing like last minute panic to decide what to wear," she says with a huff.

Bea leaves Deb to finish up then opens the front door, expecting to see a teenage boy, not Allie with Franky following closely behind. She stands to the side, letting them file into the house.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Deb didn't tell you? She asked if I had a dress she could borrow for tonight."

Allie holds the white dress on its hanger out as proof. Bea recognizes it almost immediately, visions of a beaten and bloodied Allie flashing through her head.

"She didn't mention it. Wait, I've seen that dress before."

"It's the one I was wearing at the club. Don't worry, I got all of the bloodstains out of it. We're not too late, are we? I just saw her message not too long ago."

"No, she's still getting ready. It's pretty, Deb will look great in it. And you, Franky? Why are you here?"

"What, am I not welcome here? I thought we were friends? That hurts my feelings, you know."

"Don't be dramatic."

"Fine. I really just came along for the ride. I want to see what the fuss is all about with this kid and make sure he's good enough for our Deb."

After hastily throwing on the very first outfit she picked and doing her hair and makeup, Debbie makes her way from the back of the house. She stops when she sees Franky standing in the living room.

"Oh no. Why are you here?"

"Didn't think I'd find out about your little date, huh? I caught Allie trying to sneak out of the house. Very rude, by the way. Why didn't you tell me about this guy?"

"I was going to."

"Just not tonight?"

She didn't tell her yet, remembering what Allie said about her and Franky giving Brayden a talk when they met him. She knows Allie was at least somewhat kidding, but she wouldn't put it past Franky, knowing how protective she can be.

"Franky, please, whatever you do, don't scare him. Allie, tell her to be nice."

"Don't worry, I'll keep my leash short. I'll lock her in a room if I have to."

"You can't make me do anything. Try it, Allie. See what happens."

Bea slides up next to Franky, putting a hand on her shoulder, "She'll be nice. Won't you, Franky?"

"You're lucky you're the only person I'm afraid of. I promise to behave, I just want to meet him, that's it. I probably won't even have to scare him, Red here can handle that. Now go put this on, let's see how it looks."

Franky takes the dress from Allie and passes it over to Deb. She emerges from her room just minutes later with it on.

She does a quick turn, "Well? How do I look?"

Bea walks over, putting her hands on Deb's shoulders, "Look at you. My beautiful little girl. You're not so little anymore."

Before she gets too choked up, Bea pulls herself away.

"Looking good, kiddo."

"Deb, wow. You look so pretty. His jaw is gonna drop."

"Thank you all."

"All right, picture time," Bea says, grabbing her phone from the kitchen table.

"Do we have to?"

"It's your first date, I want to remember this. At least just one."

"Fine."

"Hey, me and Allie want a picture too when you're done."

"Why don't we all just take one together?" Allie suggests, hearing no objections.

The four of them group together, Deb holds the phone out to take the picture. Once they're done, Bea goes with Deb to style her hair how she wanted originally.

About the time she's done, Franky announces Brayden's arrival after she hears a car pull up out front. She heads over to look out the window, seeing a black sedan that's definitely on the luxury side.

"Damn, he drives a nicer car than I do."

Bea and Deb come into the living room, Bea assures her one last time that she looks great before Deb answers the door. The trio stands back a bit to let Deb greet him once he walks in. She shuts the door behind him, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Wow, you look beautiful, Debbie."

"Thank you. You look really handsome."

"Thanks."

Seeing Allie and Franky watching her expectantly, Deb brings Brayden further into the room to introduce him to everyone. She starts with Franky, who puts on a stern face, seemingly sizing him up.

She shakes his outstretched hand, squeezing with a little more force than necessary. He sees what she's doing, and he doesn't waver. She gives him a nod of approval before he turns to greet Allie.

A much more standard greeting, no attempts at intimidation on her part, "Don't worry about Franky. That tough act? All for show."

"Well thanks for telling him my secret, Allie."

Last but not least, he turns to Bea. She takes a moment to give him a once-over. He's dressed sharply, wearing slacks and a long-sleeved button shirt that compliments Debbie's outfit.

He's wearing cologne, not an offensive amount as most boys his age seem to wear. He looks her in the eye when he shakes her hand, a gesture she appreciates.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Smith."

"You don't have to be so formal. Please, just call me Bea."

"Bea. Here, I brought this for you."

He hands over the small box he's been holding since he walked in. Bea takes the lid off to peek inside, a dozen macaroon cookies. She recognizes them as ones from a local bakery she frequents.

"Debbie said those are your favorite."

"Oh did she now? Hm. Are you trying to win me over?"

He laughs, putting his hands up, "Ah, you got me. Did it work?"

"I'd say it helps. So, what are your plans for tonight?"

"First, we're going to dinner at Maestro's, then going to a movie after that."

"That fancy Italian place? That's an expensive place for two kids. Can I ask what you do for work?"

"I really like Debbie, so I wanted to take her somewhere nice. As for work, I help manage a family business."

"And your car, is that a perk of the job?"

"No, I drive an old beater, honestly. It's my uncle's car. I kind of begged him to let me take it tonight."

Sensing that Deb is ready to go, Bea doesn't grill him any further, "Well, don't let us keep you any longer. You kids have fun."

"Thank you. What time do you want me to have her home?"

"What sounds reasonable to you?"

"Nine?" He cautiously offers.

"Playing it safe, I like that. How does ten sound?"

"That sounds great, thanks, Ms. Smi… Bea."

As they walk out the door, Franky whispers something to Deb that causes her to simultaneously laugh and blush.

"What did you just tell my daughter, Franky?" Bea asks, shutting the door behind them.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about."

"See, telling me not to worry just makes me feel like I should."

"It was nothing bad, just hinted that maybe there's a secluded place I know of to park a car if the need arises."

"Hey, don't be putting ideas in my kid's head."

"I know where she's talking about, it's a good spot. Nice and private."

"Thanks, Allie, you're really helping."

"What, would you rather them get caught?"

"I'd rather them not do anything."

"That's too bad, Red. She's at that age. It's gonna happen at some point. Maybe tonight, who knows?"

"Thanks to you. If she gets pregnant, you're helping her raise the kid."

"Whoa, whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm not forcing them to do anything. I merely suggested a location, what happens after that is out of my hands. You know, teenage pregnancy is basically a rite of passage for kids these days."

"It most definitely is not."

"And that's that, I'm out," Allie puts her hands up removes herself from the conversation before it gets any weirder, "Remind me why we're friends again?"

She moves over to the window in time to watch Debbie and Brayden leave. She peeks out the blinds, watching as Brayden opens Debbie's car door for her, closing it after she gets in.

"It looks like he's a gentleman."

"Yeah, I don't like him," Franky says, shaking her head.

"You only spent five minutes around him."

"No, Franky's right," Bea agrees, "There's something about him I didn't like either. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something."

"I think you two are just being protective of Deb."

"Maybe, but I'll be keeping a close eye on him."

"Same here, Red."

"Well, you're both here now, I was about to make dinner. Do you guys want to stay? If you don't have plans?" Bea offers, secretly hoping Allie can stay.

She's been looking forward to seeing her again, not that she'll tell anybody that. Allie's in the same boat though.

"We don't have any plans. Franky, what do you think?"

"A meal I don't have to cook? Sign me up."

Bea heads into the kitchen to get a start on dinner.

Franky leans in close to Allie, "Weren't you supposed to have dinner with Kaz tonight?"

"We'll have to do it another time."

"Huh. The second person you've blown off to hang out with Red."

"Shut it. Bea, do you need any help?"

"Sure."

Allie walks into the kitchen to give her a hand with dinner. Franky watches from the table as they interact with each other, talking and laughing amongst themselves. She laughs in her head at how obviously into Bea Allie is.

Even though she hasn't admitted it, the signs are there, clear as day. She watches how Bea acts towards Allie, unable to get an accurate read on her.

_Hm. Maybe she's not interested in Allie after all. _

Reminding herself to tease Allie about it later, Franky gets up to take a peek at the CD collection Bea has at Bea's request.

"Do you have any music from this decade? I feel like I traveled back in time over here."

Bea simply shrugs, "I like the classics, so what?"

"You and Allie both. Too bad Kaz and Gidge aren't here, you four could bond over your love of old lady music."

"Say what you will, it's good music."

Despite her teasing, Franky still picks out a disk for them to listen to. Half an hour and a glass of wine for each of them later, dinner is served. As they eat, their conversation turns to telling stories about the first dates they ever went on. Franky tells of hers first.

"Sam Johnson was my first before I realized boys weren't my thing."

"What made you realize?" Bea asks, feeling curious.

"It's kind of a long story."

"We've got nothing but time."

"Okay, so after our date, Sam and I tried fooling around in his car. Key word is tried, I wasn't into it at all. In fact, I don't think I've ever been so turned off in my life. Kissing him was like making out with a dead fish."

"You would know," Allie mutters under her breath.

"I heard that. Moving on, he had his hands up my shirt and his tongue in my mouth, my panties were still drier than the fuckin' Sahara though. So we called it quits. I thought I was broken or something.

Fast forward a while, I'm at a house party. Truth or dare comes up, you know, as kids do. I pick dare and of course the boys want to see me and the other girl kiss. And you know me, I wasn't about to back down from a dare. The drinks I had probably had something to do with it.

That kiss, it was really something else. Anyway, later on in the night I bumped into the same girl. One thing led to another and we wound up in a bedroom, continuing what we started.

It was the same situation as with Sam, except this time it was like the flood-gates opened, if you know what I mean. It wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out why. Been on the big gay bus ever since."

"Huh. Thanks for that enlightening tale."

"No problem, I hope the story of my sexual awakening brought you some joy. You next, Allie."

"Hm, my first date was Nicki Anderson, she was actually my first girlfriend until she and her parents moved. Our families went to church together, and our parents wouldn't have approved so we had to pretend we were just friends to go on a date.

It was fun, there was no fooling around involved. Not that night, anyway. That's about it. All right, Bea, you're up."

"Honestly, I can't really remember his name or his face. I was Deb's age, and seventeen was a long time ago for me."

"Ain't that the truth."

"Franky, aren't you getting up there in age too?"

"I'm only twenty-eight. I still have my youth."

"That grey hair I see tells a different story."

"What? Where? Don't just sit there, pull it out."

"Nowhere, I'm kidding. But just you wait, it'll happen someday. Anyway, I do remember where he took me, Adam's restaurant actually reminded me a lot of it. Now this is gross, but the thing I remember most about that night was the color of his puke."

"He threw up? That sucks."

"Yeah, he even got some on my shoes. I don't know if he was nervous, or if he just got sick. We called it an early night and I never saw him again after that. There you have it, my first date."

"Well, don't leave us hanging. What color was it?"

Bea points at Allie's plate, "You know, it kind of looked like what you have on your plate, the colors are there. Imagine if it was half digested though."

Allie sets her fork down in the middle of a bite, "Appetite officially lost. Thanks, Bea."

"Hey, you wanted to know."

They soon finish eating, Allie manages to set aside the mental image Bea put into her head. Franky offers to wash the dishes once they're done.

"You don't have to. I can do it."

"Allie helped you with dinner, I should at least make myself useful. And I'm a firm believer that the cook shouldn't have to clean. If only somebody else believed that."

Allie points a thumb at herself, "Who, me? I just did dishes for you last night."

"We used paper plates, and all you washed was two forks."

"Still did them."

After taking care of said dishes, Franky joins Bea and Allie in the living room.

"Listen up, girls. I have some news," she announces from her spot on the recliner.

Allie raises a brow, "Yeah? What's up?"

"I'm ready to ask Gidget. I'm gonna pop the question next week."

"You finally worked up the courage?"

"Oh, don't be mistaken. I'm still scared shitless."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. She loves you."

"But what if she says no?"

"Well, have you talked about marriage before? Spending your lives together?" Bea chimes in.

"Yeah. She's open to the idea."

"If she's open to it, and you've talked about it, what do you need to worry about?"

"Maybe I'm just scared. What if it's too soon? You think it's too soon? Do you have any advice, you know, since you're old and wise?"

"Very funny. I wouldn't say I'm an expert on marriage, so I don't think I can tell you if it's too soon or not. But I will say if you feel deep-down like it's the right time, it's the right time."

"Thanks, Red, that helps. Knew you were a good friend."

"I try. So how are you gonna do it? Do you have it all planned out?"

"Yeah, I have a plan."

"You want to share with the class?"

"That depends on you, Allie. You're really bad at keeping secrets."

"I know. But this one I can keep, I promise."

"Okay, I'm trusting you. I swear, Allie, if you let it slip…"

"I won't. Do we need to pinky promise? That's sacred, you know. I can't break that."

"No, I'll just take your word for it. So the plan is nothing too special, I'm taking her to our favorite restaurant. It's probably clichè, but I'm gonna have the ring brought to the table on a platter. Should be a nice surprise for her.

I thought about putting it in her glass of champagne, but I was afraid she might actually drink it. After that, I'm not sure. I'll just see how the night goes."

"I'm really happy for you."

"That's great, Franky. I'm excited for you."

"Thanks, you guys. So, who's gonna be my maid of honor?"

The hours pass by, and it's time for Franky and Allie to head home. Franky promises to let Bea know what happens with her proposal.

Once they're gone, Bea changes into more comfortable clothes and settles on the couch with a cup of tea. She's in the middle of digging into her box of macaroons when she hears Brayden pull up out front.

She checks the time, it's a quarter to ten. He must be trying to make a good impression. She stands up, making her way to look out the window.

She watches as he opens Deb's car door, offering a hand for her to take. He leads her to the front of the house. They stand close, he seems to ask her something, Deb excitedly nods her head. Before he turns to leave, he quickly kisses her on the lips. The way Debbie lights up brings a smile to Bea's face.

She sits back down to wait for Deb to come up. She walks through the door, an 'I've just been kissed' look on her face.

"Well? How was it?"

"It was so good, dinner was really nice. We ended up skipping the movie, we went to get ice cream and just walked around the park for a while."

Deb breaks out into a wide smile before continuing, "He, um, asked me to be his girlfriend."

"You said yes, if that kiss was anything to go on."

"You saw that? Why were you watching?"

"To make sure he kept his hands to himself. I know how boys are, I was seventeen once too, you know."

"I know. But he wouldn't make me do anything. Even then, I'm old enough to do... stuff."

"The fact that you call it stuff says otherwise. I can't believe it, your first boyfriend."

"I know, right? Okay, I gotta go tell Allie and Franky. And the rest of my friends."

"Okay, don't stay up too late."

* * *

The rest of the weekend comes and goes. Harry's trial is getting ever closer. Bea's gotten a few updates from her lawyer, and things are looking great for the case against him.

Despite that, she still has this fear in the back of her mind that things are going to go wrong somehow. She's worried that the evidence she collected will be destroyed or tampered with, that the charges against him won't hold up. She knows it's not rational to think this way, but she can't stop herself from doing it.

A few days later, it's a slow afternoon at the salon, a pleasant change from the hectic beginning of this week. The salon had been swamped lately, with wedding season in full swing. Just yesterday, they had a full bridal party come in. Bea's in the back office, looking to see what supplies they're running low on when Liz appears in the doorway.

"Bea, there's someone here to see you. Her name's Allie, she doesn't have an appointment but she's hoping you can get her in if you have the time."

"Thanks, Liz. Let her know I'll be with her in a few minutes."

Bea finishes taking inventory and goes out to greet Allie.

"Hey, I thought you were going to let me know when you were ready to come by?"

Allie looks up from the magazine she's reading through, "I know I was going to, and I should've called, but I was in the neighborhood and something came up last minute. If you're busy though..."

Bea waves her off, "I have an hour to kill before my next appointment. Come have a seat."

Allie gets situated in the chair while Bea picks out some supplies to do what she has in mind for her. She gets started by first washing Allie's hair.

It's an innocent act, but it's not long until the feeling of Bea's fingers massaging her scalp has Allie's mind going to far, far less innocent places. She finds herself squirming in her seat, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep from making any embarrassing noises.

_Get a grip, there's nothing sexy about hair washing. _

She tries thinking of something, anything to keep her mind off of the very physical reaction she's having right now. Bea seems to notice, taking her hands away to look down at her.

"Are you okay?"

Allie opens her eyes slowly, seriously hoping she hasn't been found out. She quickly comes up with an excuse.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little ticklish is all."

"Oh. Hang in there, I'm almost done."

True to her word, Bea finishes washing her hair shortly after then dries it. Before she starts, she checks with Allie one last time.

"I trust you. Do what you think is best."

With that, Bea gets to work.

"Thanks for getting me in on such short notice. Sorry to drop in on you like this."

"It's not a problem at all. What came up last minute for you?"

"I have a date tonight. So whatever you do, please don't mess up my hair."

A date. At the mention of that, Bea feels a pang that's almost like… jealousy? Strange. She pushes the feeling aside.

"I'll try my best. Who are you going out with? Same girl as last time?"

"Different one this time. I actually never heard from that girl again. Anyway, her name is Sara, she used to work at the bar with me."

"Another date. You're popular when it comes to people wanting to take you out."

"It really doesn't happen all that often."

"No? That's surprising. Tell me about her."

"Not much to tell, really. We worked together for about six months or so. We get on well, and she's been wanting to take me out to dinner but I've turned her down, I try not to date coworkers. She started a new job somewhere else a while back and she asked me if I'm free tonight.

I figured it couldn't hurt to go, I don't remember the last time someone took me out. And if it doesn't work out, at least we won't be in the awkward position of having to work together still."

"I'm sure you'll have a good time."

"Yeah, but if it's a total disaster, can you do me a favor and bail me out? Fake an emergency or something?"

Bea starts to laugh it off, seeing Allie isn't joking, "Oh, you're serious. You don't think it'll go well?"

"I don't know, maybe I'm just nervous. I haven't been on an actual date in so long, I'm afraid I'll make a fool out of myself."

"Sure. Text me 911 and I'll come up with something."

"Thanks, I knew you were a good friend. What about you, you have any fun plans tonight?"

"Not really, I'm just relaxing at home. Deb is staying with a friend tonight, so I've got the house to myself. I do have a bottle of wine calling my name though, it's been a long week. I might try finishing the drawing I've been working on."

"Another drawing. For me, perhaps?"

"Not this time, I think I want to keep this one. I'll give you another one soon."

"I'm looking forward to it."

The time flies by, and Bea is finally done. She did just what she said she would. She touched up the color of Allie's hair, and ended up cutting it shorter than she planned, but it still came out how she had hoped. If anything, it only further accentuates Allie's beauty.

Allie is very impressed with Bea's handiwork. She looks herself over in the mirror, running a hand through her hair, "I can't remember the last time I had it this short. Franky's gonna flip when she sees it."

"How did I do?"

"You did a wonderful job. It looks great, I'm definitely recommending you to everyone I know. So, what do I owe you for this?"

"Nothing at all. I meant it when I said no charge."

"I can't not pay you something."

"I'm not taking any money from you."

To make her point, Bea calls across the room, "Liz, this one is a freebie. Don't take one cent from Allie."

"Her money is no good here. Got it, Bea."

"Fine. Thanks again. I'll see you later."

"Let me know how your date goes?"

"I will."

Allie walks over to the counter by the front door of the salon. While out of Bea's sight, she tries slipping Liz a few bills, almost double what they'd normally charge.

"Do me a favor, make sure Bea gets these?"

Liz slides them back across the counter, "You heard what she said."

"Yeah, I know, but please do it? I insist."

Allie slides the money back yet again. Liz gives in this time, it's clear she won't leave without paying.

"Are you sure you want to give her this much?"

"Positive."

"I'll get them to her. You have a lovely day."

"You too, um… I didn't catch your name."

"It's Liz."

"Liz."

Once Allie leaves, Bea walks over after she finishes cleaning up her station, "She paid me, didn't she?"

Liz hands over the cash, "And then some. She's generous. Is she a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, she's a good friend."

"She's quite pretty."

"Yeah, I guess she is."

"You guess?"

"Why do you say it like that?"

"You were looking at her like you've been trapped in the desert for weeks, and she's a tall glass of water."

"What? I was not."

"Whatever you say, I won't argue with you. She's special to you, isn't she?"

"She's... I don't know, Liz. I wouldn't say she's special to me, but I think about her a lot and I really care about her. It's weird, we've only known each other for a few weeks, it's crazy how close we've gotten."

"That's how these things can happen, Love. It's great that you have a close friend like her. Maybe something more?"

Bea shrugs, "I don't know. That's the hard part. It's pretty confusing to me."

"What's there to be confused about?"

"She's a woman, for one thing."

"Let me ask you a question. Does she make you happy?"

"She does."

"Then that's all you need to know. It doesn't matter what she is, it just matters how she makes you feel."

"It's that simple, huh?"

"I'd like to think so."

The rest of Bea's day drags on, but closing time finally comes. She gets home just in time to see Deb and visit with her a bit before she goes off with her friend. Once she leaves, Bea opens a bottle of wine and pours herself a glass.

She turns on some music for background noise, hunts down her sketchbook, then settles on the couch. Her latest drawing she's been working on is of herself, Franky, Allie, and Deb. The picture the four of them took the night of Deb's date with Brayden. She only has to finish drawing Allie in, which has taken the most amount of time.

She would start, not like how it came out, erase, and restart. She takes time studying the picture, analyzing Allie's face and taking in all the details before putting pencil to paper. Forty-five minutes later, she finishes. It's her best draft yet, turning out just how she wanted.

She has yet to hear from Allie, she considers sending her a message but decides against it, not wanting to interrupt if she's having a good time. Another almost hour later, she's about to shower after eating dinner, opting for pizza tonight instead of cooking.

She still hasn't heard from Allie, she can't resist the urge to text her. She picks her phone up to do just that, it rings as soon as her hand touches it. She answers, seeing Allie's name on screen.

"Hey, I was just about to text you. How did it go?"

Instead of hearing Allie's typically chipper voice coming through the phone, Bea hears quite the opposite.

"Not great. A lot worse than I thought it would. I bought some wine, I need a drink. Do you mind if I come over?"

"Of course not."

"Good, because I'm already on my way."

"Are you all right? You sound down."

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when I get there."

"Okay. Just let yourself in, I'll be in the shower. If you're hungry, there's pizza in the kitchen."

"Great, I'm starving, actually. I'll see you soon."

Bea gets off the phone and takes a quick shower, changing into more comfortable clothes after that. She leaves her room and heads to the kitchen, finding Allie at the table with a glass of wine in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.

The first thing Bea notices is how absolutely stunning she looks. Breathtaking, she might say. Allie looks great in her normal clothes, but tonight she took it up a notch or two, she's dressed to impress. A fresh coat of nail polish, hair and makeup styled, and a form-fitting black dress on top of that.

Bea feels a bit self-conscious sporting a tank top, sweatpants, and her favorite pair of slippers Deb bought for her last Christmas. They look like reindeer, complete with googly eyes and red noses.

Allie notices her walk in and looks up, sending a smirk her way, "Hi."

"Hi. Um... wow."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Allie, you look... gosh, you look so pretty tonight."

"Why thank you. You don't think I overdressed? Franky convinced me to go all out."

"Not at all. You look great, seriously."

"I have an awesome hairdresser to thank for that. And you don't look so bad yourself. I love your slippers, they're super cute."

"Thanks."

There's two bottles of wine next to Allie on the table. Seeing Bea's quizzical look, she explains.

"Don't judge, it's been one of those nights."

"No judgement here."

Bea takes one of the open bottles, refilling Allie's now empty glass and her own before sitting across from her at the table. She gives her a few minutes to finish eating before getting into the details of her date.

Allie sighs before telling of how it went awry, "So, it turns out Sara is married."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yeah. And not only is she married, she's married to a man."

"You're kidding."

"I wish. She told me she's single and I never saw a ring. She lied to me, and that's something I don't tolerate."

"How did you find out she's married?"

"It was one hell of a coincidence, I still can't believe it. Her husband, probably ex by now, just happened to come with his friends to the restaurant we were at. He came over to our table, apparently she told him she had to work late tonight. I felt bad for the guy, it seems like he had no idea she isn't straight. He was heartbroken, some tears were shed.

Oh, did I mention they have a kid together? I guess I don't know Sara as well as I thought. I got out of there before it got any weirder. She called me after I left, she tried explaining why she never told her husband, she was afraid of how he would react. I get being afraid of coming out, but she's been going behind his back for years, that's not right at all.

She even had the audacity to ask if I want to go out another time. I told her to lose my number. I swear, that's the most awkward situation I've ever been in."

Bea takes in all this information, trying and failing to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She almost spits out her wine.

"I'm sorry, I feel bad for laughing."

"It's okay, it's funny now that I think about it, what are the odds of my first date in a long time turning out like that? Looks like I'm staying out of the dating pool for now, back to the single life it is. Enough about me, did anything interesting happen to you today?"

"Something did, actually. After you left the salon, guess what happened?"

"You know what, hold that thought for a minute. Can I borrow some clothes from you? I gotta get out of this dress, it's way too tight."

Allie excuses herself to use the bathroom. Bea hands her an extra shirt and pair of pajama pants she has once she gets out.

"No slippers, sorry."

"No problem."

When Allie returns in her new attire, she pours herself one more glass of wine then joins Bea on the couch.

"Where were we? Right, did you also have a date with someone who's a dirty, dirty liar?"

Bea shakes her head, "Not quite, but it has something to do with a date. Someone asked me out again."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. A client asked if I want to go for a drink next week."

"Wow, do tell. Who's the lucky guy? Guy this time?"

"He's a guy."

"Does this guy have a name?"

"Alex."

"Age? Is he younger, older?"

"Younger. He's thirty-one."

"Robbing the cradle, nice."

"It's not that big of an age difference. Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Carry on. What's the story between you?"

"Well, I've been cutting his hair for a while, I can't remember exactly how long. A couple of years or so."

"So you have some history."

"I guess you can say that. We do talk a lot. And he's always been kind of a flirt with me, but I never responded to it because of you know who. He came back in just after I went back to work, and he noticed I don't wear a ring anymore. I told him I'm divorced now.

Ever since that he's upped the flirting, and I mean he is good looking, charming too. He seems like a decent guy, we even have a bit in common. I said I'd think about it but I haven't decided.

I don't know if I'm ready, what if he wants to turn it into a relationship? I don't think I can do that yet. Any helpful advice in that head of yours?"

"You should go for it. I'm no expert, but he seems genuinely interested in you. You know it doesn't have to turn into a relationship if you don't want it to. If you're not ready, you're not ready. Who knows, you two might hit it off. Just go out, one night. And if it doesn't work out, you can join me on the single train."

"Yeah, maybe. I just kind of wonder what he sees in me, I'm nothing spectacular."

"Get that self-doubt out of here, it's nonsense. You don't know how great you are. You're pretty damn awesome, you know."

"You think so?"

"Duh. You're smart, funny, kind, a joy to be around. And with your looks on top of that, you're the total package. Any guy would be lucky to go out with you."

"Thanks. My looks though? They're not much to brag about."

"There's that doubt again. Only an idiot couldn't see that's what stands out the most about you."

"You're not just saying that because we're friends, are you?"

"No, I'm not just saying that. You, my friend, are hot as hell."

She touches Bea's leg with a finger then shakes her hand around as if she was just burned, "See?"

Bea slaps her playfully on the arm, "Stop it, you're gonna make me blush. That's gotta be the wine talking."

"This isn't the wine talking. It's true, Bea. You don't even realize it, do you?"

"Realize what?"

"How beautiful you are. You definitely don't get told that enough."

"I'm not all that."

"You are though. You're so beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever met. I've always thought so. I mean it, I want you to know that."

Allie looks up, meeting Bea's gaze. Those brilliant eyes of hers linger long enough to make Bea nervous. She usually finds herself shying away when Allie meets her eyes, but tonight she can't look away, she feels almost entranced.

She tries to decipher the look Allie has, her eyes are full of something Bea can't recognize. She finally brings herself to break the eye contact.

"Allie? You in there?"

"Yeah, sorry. What I said, was that too far? Just ignore me."

"No, you're fine, it just makes me happy how highly you think of me."

"You're my best friend, of course I think that of you. So, do you have a picture of this Alex? I want to know if he's good enough for you."

"You can tell that from a picture?" Bea asks as she walks into the kitchen, picking her phone up from the table.

"Oh yeah. It's one of my many talents."

"Sure it is. All right, take a look."

She hands the phone over, a picture of Alex on the screen.

"Hm. Tall, handsome. If I were straight, yeah, I'd go for it."

"Would you now?"

"Yep."

"So he passes?"

"I give him my approval. Now what? Are you gonna go?"

"I still don't know."

"Do it. Put yourself out there. Do I have to steal your phone and tell him you'll go?"

"No need. I just did."

"Yay! Proud of you."

Bea sets her phone on the arm of the couch, sighing, "God, what am I doing, Allie? This is crazy, right? Going out this soon? It hasn't even been a month since Harry."

"I don't think it's crazy at all. The way I see it, you're just living your life, something you should have been able to do a long time ago."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you. Well, there's still another bottle of wine, should we finish it?"

"Trying to get me drunk?"

"Totally."

"I would, but I still have to drive home."

"Why don't you just stay here? I mean... if you want to."

"You want me to?"

"If you want to, yeah. You can take Deb's room, she wouldn't mind."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna intrude."

"Yes, I'm sure. You're not intruding on anything, I didn't have any plans to begin with. I'm glad to have you here."

"Say no more, then. How about a refill?"

Allie gets up and fills their glasses again. They spend time just chatting and drinking wine. During a quiet moment between them, Bea speaks up. Allie seems a bit bummed about her date.

"I'm sorry things didn't go well with Sara tonight."

"I'm not."

"You're not? How come?"

"Because if it went well with her, I wouldn't get to be here hanging out with you."

"Really?"

"Really. There's nowhere I'd rather be right now."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just how I feel."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

"I have a question for you."

"I might have an answer, if you're lucky."

"Where would you be right now if it worked out with Sara?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Bea nods in response.

"Okay. Either her bed or mine. But with the 'fuck me' eyes she was giving all night, one of our cars would be a safe bet."

Bea starts to look a touch uncomfortable at that statement.

"Too much? You asked."

"No, it's just sex… it's not really my thing. I never enjoyed it much."

"Maybe you've just been doing it with the wrong people," Allie replies in a confident tone, the alcohol in her system probably being a factor.

That's too much for Bea to handle, she chokes on the drink she just took, sending her into a coughing fit. Allie pats her on the back a few times, figuring now is a good time to change the subject. Before she gives Bea a heart attack or something. Or worse, says something she can't take back.

_You haven't done it with me, _comes to mind.

At one point, Bea heads off to the bathroom. Allie takes a seat on the couch, something catching her eye on the table in front of it. Bea's open sketchbook underneath some papers. She moves them aside to look at the sketch, seeing Bea, Deb, Franky, and finally, herself.

The picture they all took together the night of Deb's date with Brayden. She's in awe, it's a near-perfect copy of her face. She knew Bea was talented, but this? This is on another level. Feeling curious, Allie flips through the book, seeing several drawings of just her, each one more detailed than the last.

Bea comes back from the bathroom, witnessing Allie looking through her sketchbook. She feels relieved it's her recent sketch she's looking at. That relief dies out after she sits back down and Allie flips to the next page, pointing the book towards her.

"You drew me."

"You probably think that's really weird of me."

"I don't. I'm kind of flattered, you make me look good. Did you draw these by memory, or just pictures?"

"I use pictures for reference, but it's mostly from memory."

"You think about me pretty often, then?"

"I... I think about you a lot."

"So you do care about me, I knew it."

"Did you think I didn't care about you?"

"No, just glad I'm on your mind. I think about you a lot too."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I think about you, I think about Deb, and all the other people important to me."

"Good to know. Let's settle the score, why don't you draw me for a change?" Bea suggests, handing Allie a pencil.

"Are you sure? I don't want to waste a page."

"I can always buy another book."

"If you insist. Fair warning, I can't draw for shit."

"Show me."

Ten minutes later, Allie has done her best interpretation of Bea, but she was right, she can't draw for shit. She turns the book towards Bea to show her work.

"Huh. So that's what you think I look like."

"You know it's not. I told you I can't draw. Not everyone can be a good artist like you."

"I think you did a good job. You really captured my eyes. Those are eyes, right?"

"Now you're just being mean."

"I'm just giving you a hard time. I'll keep it, maybe I'll hang it up."

"Really?"

"I don't see why not. You hung mine up, I could at least return the favor."

Allie passes the book and pencil back, "Your turn."

"I've already drawn you."

"Yeah, but I have a new haircut now."

"If you really want me to, fine."

"How do you want me? Should I pose like this? Or something like this?"

Allie demonstrates a couple of different poses, getting a laugh from Bea in return.

"You can just sit there."

"Fine."

Bea gets started, it takes her almost no time, since drawing Allie has become almost second nature to her. By the time they finish drawing each other and polish off that second bottle of wine, it's almost midnight.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to call it a night," Allie says, yawning into her hand.

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I'll make the bed for you."

Bea heads to Deb's room to put some fresh sheets on the bed for Allie. She bids her good night, locking up the house before heading to bed herself.

Once she lies down, she can't sleep, thinking about how beautiful Allie thinks she is and how highly she thinks of her. Since those compliments earlier in the night, she's feeling things she can't quite describe. More often than not, she's feeling things she can't quite describe when it comes to Allie.

Allie also can't sleep, thinking about the moment she and Bea had on the couch. And how close she came to telling her she's starting to like her in more than just a friendly manner in that moment. That might not have gone well.

She can't seem to get Bea out of her head. When she was on that date with Sara tonight, she was thinking about how she wished she was here with Bea instead. And when it went to hell with her, Bea was the first person she wanted to call, the first person she wanted to see.

Allie's no fool, she's well aware that her feelings for Bea are growing quickly, and there's nothing she can do about it. Bea made it pretty clear she's not interested in her, and now that Alex could be a factor, the chances of something happening between them is nil.

She promised to respect Bea's wishes of being friends, she intends to make good on that, no matter how hard it is. And hard it is indeed.


	18. XVIII

It's the following week, and this morning is Harry's trial that Allie is attending. It felt so far away weeks ago and it seems to have snuck up on her. She's been feeling nervous, last night was rough when it came to sleep.

She managed about four hours and she's exhausted, it took two cups of coffee to get her up and moving this morning. The trial is scheduled for eleven a.m. but she shows up at ten-thirty. She's killing time in the parking lot sitting in her car. Her phone rings, it's Bea calling.

"Hey, you."

"Hi. How are you?"

"Right now, I'm nervous. I showed up half an hour early, I'm just sitting in the parking lot now. How are you this morning?"

"I'm good, busy. Sorry, but I don't have a lot of time to talk, a client just walked in. I just wanted to call and let you know I hope things go well today. And let me know how it goes after?"

"If you're not busy tonight, why don't we get a drink after you get off work instead?"

"That sounds good. Where do you want to meet?"

"Well, I saw where you work, why don't you come see where I do? You know where it's at?"

"Yeah, I've driven by there before."

"Say about six?"

"All right, see you then."

Allie ends the call and with ten minutes to spare, she makes her way inside the building. She hadn't expected Harry to be in the room, but there he is, sitting on a bench to the far right of the room with his hands cuffed. She catches his eye, seeing the recognition on his face.

_Remember me? Prick._

He begins staring at her with an expression that makes her feel uneasy. She's never felt so unnerved from someone just looking at her, but she never breaks his gaze, she stares right back. She looks him over, he looks like he hasn't slept properly in weeks. He has bags under his eyes, and he's lost a considerable amount of weight from what Allie can tell.

Her turn to speak eventually comes around. She speaks truthfully with no embellishments, relaying every detail of that night. She keeps her composure and doesn't get upset, though she really wants to cuss Harry out, knowing full well the things he's done to Bea. One of her best friends, such a beautiful person, inside and out.

It's a different courtroom experience than what she was expecting. She was expecting objections to be yelled back and forth, order to be called with a slam of the judge's gavel.

The whole ordeal goes quicker than she thought it would. They called her in, swore her in, had her say what she came here to and she's now waiting for a decision to be met.

A few minutes later, the charge is read, Harry pleads guilty, and that's that. A sentence of two years, an order of no contact or attempts to make contact with Allie during the sentence.

Allie exits the building to the parking lot. She's just about to her car when she feels a firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder, hears her name being called by a voice she can't place. She spins around on instinct, coming face to face with Will Jackson, his hands up and an amused grin on his face.

"Easy, killer."

"Sorry, it's a habit. Long time no see, Will."

"Yeah, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"I've been good. Um, is there something on my face?" Allie asks after his eyes linger.

"No, sorry. No offense, but you look a whole lot better since last time I saw you."

"None taken. I looked like a wreck I'm sure. So, what brings you here today?"

"Someone thought the speeding ticket I wrote them was unfair, they decided to contest so I got to spend my morning in court. So you came after all, how did it go?"

"It went well, Harry racked up two years on top of what he gets at Bea's trial."

"That's good to hear, I'll be glad when he's put away."

"You and me both."

"And speaking of Bea, how is she? Did you happen to stay in touch with her?"

"We stayed in touch, we're really good friends now."

"Good. I wasn't sure after the last time we all saw each other. If I can ask, what happened that day? Why'd you leave the room?"

"Oh, that. I bet that looked bad. Hearing about what he did to her, it was too much for me to handle, it made me sick. I left because I didn't want Bea to see me upset. I got a bit emotional."

"I get it. I gotta say, it made me pretty sick too. Not enough to bring me to tears, but still."

"Uh-huh, sure it didn't. It's okay to be in touch with your emotions, men are allowed to cry."

"Don't get me wrong, if I see something sad enough, I'm a blubbering mess. But when it comes to stuff I see on the job, I can't let it get to me. In my line of work, you have to put your emotions second."

"And that's why I could never do what you do."

"It's not for everyone. What about Debbie, how's she doing with everything?"

"Deb's great, she seems to be handling everything well. She doesn't say too much about the situation, but that's understandable."

"Yeah, I can imagine. It's a shame she's had to see what she has so young."

Will checks the time on his watch, sighing, "Well, thanks for giving me some good news. I should get back to work though. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe so. If you find yourself downtown and need to drown your sorrows, come see me. I bartend at The Alibi just about every night."

"I might take you up on that. Take care of yourself, Allie. Tell Bea and Debbie hi for me when you see them."

"You know it, Will."

* * *

Six o'clock rolls around, Bea's running a bit behind schedule to meet with Allie. The salon was busy again today and the last couple of days, due in part to a not so random influx of new clientele.

They had the same thing in common, being that they were recommended by Allie. It seems she stayed true to her word of recommending the people she knows to see Bea.

It's fifteen minutes after six when she finally leaves the salon. She stops at home for a quick change of clothes, texts Allie to let her know she's on the way, then heads over to the bar. She arrives about ten minutes later, Allie waves her over once she walks inside.

"Sorry I'm late, the salon was crazy busy. Thanks to you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"So the new clients that have been coming in and saying you recommended them, just coincidence?"

"Exactly."

Bea sits across from Allie at the table, taking a sip of the drink she ordered for her.

"Thanks for sending the extra business my way. Your friends had nothing but good things to say about you."

"No problem. And they had nothing but good things to say about your handiwork."

"Good to know. So this is where you work."

"Yep. What do you think?"

"It's nice. I've actually been here, more than a few times over the years."

"You have?"

"Yeah."

"And somehow we never crossed paths."

"Small world, huh? I wonder if we ever saw each other, we probably thought nothing of it."

"Probably. I wonder if we'd have met here and become friends still."

"That's a good question. Let's hope the answer is yes."

Bea takes a quick trip to the restroom before Allie gives her the details from this morning. She walks out and sees Allie talking to a woman who looks to be about Bea's age, if not a bit older.

She also sees a familiar little boy she met not too long ago standing next to the table. He spots Bea and recognizes her.

"Bea!" The boy runs over excitedly, giving her a tight hug that catches Bea off-guard. She looks over at Allie, who just shrugs, "I guess he likes you."

"Thomas, let her go," the woman who Bea has to assume is Amy says. Now that she sees the two women side by side, the similarities in Allie's looks and Thomas's stand out even more. Thomas releases his hold on Bea, allowing her to continue walking and following behind her.

"Sorry about him. He's a hugger. Must get it from his dad."

"That's okay."

"Bea, this is my boss. And you remember Thomas, of course."

"Of course. Nice to meet you. Amy, right?"

"That's right. Nice to meet you as well, I've heard lots about you. Thomas has been telling me all about Allie's new friend he met. Allie too, she talks about you all the time."

"Oh does she now?"

"I don't all the time, but you come up."

"She says you're the best hairdresser in the city. Is there any truth to that?"

"I don't know if I'm the best, that's probably a stretch. But I'd like to think I'm good at what I do."

"She's just being modest. She's the best."

"I think you're just biased since we're friends."

"I might be. But seriously, Amy, you won't be disappointed if you go see her."

"I just might some day. Well, we'll get out of your hair. Let me know what you decide, Allie."

"I will. See you around."

"What are you deciding on?" Bea asks once Amy and Thomas leave.

"You know how I've been filling in as manager here?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I'm doing a good enough job that she wants me to do it permanently. She just asked while you were in the bathroom."

"Really? That's great, Allie. Cheers."

Bea tilts her beer bottle towards Allie, Allie does the same, clinking them together.

"I didn't accept yet, but thanks."

"You should go for it. So, how did it go this morning?"

"I'd say it went well. They gave him two years. He's not allowed to contact me or try to while he serves."

"That's good. Did you see him?"

"I did. I didn't expect him to be in the room, but he was."

"How did he look?"

"Tired. It looks like he hasn't been sleeping well. And he's lost some weight too."

"Did he see you?"

"Yeah, I could tell he recognized me."

"Did he say anything?"

"No, he was quiet the whole time. He did just kind of stare me down though. Made me a little nervous."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It didn't bother me too much, I stared right back. Your trial is right around the corner, are you ready for it?"

"Yes and no. I can't believe it's happening, I'll be glad when it's done with. But I'm really nervous about it too. I've actually been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Will you go with me and Deb on the day? If you want to, no pressure."

"You want me to be there?"

"I'd feel a lot better if you were. I think it'd help me be less nervous."

"Absolutely. I'll go."

"I should warn you though, you'll probably hear some pretty awful stuff that you won't like. Could be hard to stomach."

"I don't care. If I have to hear some things I won't like to be there for you, I'll do it. But if I do end up needing to leave the room, you'd understand why?"

"I'd understand. Thank you, seriously."

"No thanks needed. I would do anything for you."

"You would?"

"You mean you don't know? We have met, right?"

"Yeah, I just don't think anybody's told me that before."

"Well, I'm not just anybody. I'm one of a kind."

"You sure are," Bea replies, laughing softly.

"I sure am. Now I don't know about you, but I'm really hungry. You want to look at the menu?"

"Sure. What's good here?"

"Pretty much everything."

Allie finds them a menu, they both decide on a salad after taking a look.

"So, how's Deb doing with Brayden?" Allie asks after she puts their order in and returns with their second round of drinks.

"They're practically inseparable now."

"I know that look. You still don't like him?"

"No, and I don't know why. It makes me feel bad, he's been nothing but nice and I can tell he really likes Deb. There's just something. Am I crazy? My gut tells me he's no good."

"If your gut tells you something's off, go with your gut. That doesn't mean something bad will happen though."

"I know. And I'm worried too. My first serious boyfriend, I ended up married to for almost half my life. I've been really thinking about everything I went through with him, and I'm afraid her view of relationships is tainted, you know?

I don't want her to end up like me. Being stuck in a situation she might not be able to get out of."

"I hadn't even thought about that. I hate to say it, but it can happen."

"I know. It's just as likely to happen to her."

"But, Deb's a smart girl. I'm sure she knows the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy relationship. She can recognize the signs if she's in one."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I hope you're right."

"Not to toot my own horn, but I usually am. And how about you and Alex? Have you heard from him lately?"

"Here and there, we've been talking a little more often."

"Glad to hear it, Bea, really."

If Allie's honest, the thought of Bea going out with Alex is killing her on the inside. She's just a touch jealous that he gets to take her out and make her feel as special as she deserves. Maybe she's wrong to feel this way, but here she is, feeling this way.

She finds herself wondering about her luck, or lack thereof, in the romance department lately. She had a chance with Sara, but that completely blew up in her face. And now Bea, the person who she's most interested in, is unavailable.

She thinks the universe must be playing a cruel trick on her. The person she wants, she can't have.

But even with how she feels about the situation, she'll support Bea and whatever happens with her and Alex. It doesn't mean she has to like it, but she'll do it. What kind of friend would she be if she didn't?

"Hey, did you tell Deb about him?"

"I did."

"And what does she think?"

"She was excited for me. She wanted to meet him to judge if he's good for me or not. I told her no."

"No?"

"Not yet, anyway. It's not that I don't want her to, but I just don't want to bring a man into her life if it's nothing more than a date or two. Does that make sense?"

"That makes perfect sense. He knows about her though?"

"Of course he does. Like I don't talk about her constantly?"

"True. But you really don't think it'll be more than a date or two with him?"

"Don't know. I'll just see how the first one goes."

"I'm sure it'll go great."

"Hopefully."

"You don't think it will?"

"I've been having some doubts."

"Like what?"

"Mostly all the baggage I bring to the table. I feel like he won't be able to handle it and go running for the hills. He'll see I'm more effort than I'm worth, find someone with less strings attached."

"If that happens, not saying it will, but if it does, then he's not the right person for you."

"Maybe not. But if he can't see past that and everything I put up with, do you think anybody could? In the future, I mean, if I meet someone."

_ I could _is the first thing that comes to mind for Allie to say. She holds that thought though.

"I think so. I know so, actually. There's a person out there who will be able to. And they'll see that being with you is worth any and all effort it might take. I really hope you find that person, because if anyone deserves it, it's you."

Bea doesn't really know how to respond to that. Their food arrives, saving her from having to come up with a response.

They take a break from talking to dig into their respective meals. As they eat, they also await word from Franky on how her proposal went. Tonight happens to be the night she's asking Bridget the all-important question.

"She should have called by now."

Allie checks the time on her phone for the umpteenth time, tapping the screen as if that'll make Franky call any sooner.

"You sound worried."

"I'm just a little nervous for her. Franky loves Bridget so much. I don't know what she would do without her."

"I'm sure everything's fine. Knowing Franky, she said yes and they're busy celebrating, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, probably. Wanna bet on it?"

"How about the loser buys the next round?"

"You're on."

As if she knew they were talking about her, Franky calls Allie just a few minutes later. She answers, putting the phone on speaker to let Bea listen in.

"Speak of the devil, I've been waiting for you to call. So? How did it go?"

"Um, where are you right now?"

"I'm with Bea, we're at The Alibi."

"I'm coming to get a drink. I'll be there soon."

"Is everything okay?"

"I'll just tell you when I get there. See you in a bit."

Allie ends the call, her stomach in knots, "That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't. You don't think Bridget actually said no, do you?"

"I have no idea. I can't see why she would, she loves Franky."

After a short while, Franky walks into the building. Shoulders slumped, the usual light in her eyes no longer present. She spots Bea and Allie, smiles a smile that doesn't really seem genuine and heads their way.

She takes a seat, sitting silently and drumming her fingers on the table. She looks quite dejected, it makes Allie's stomach sink all the more. Bea sends a look of concern Allie's way, getting the same in return. Allie puts a hand on top of Franky's, stopping her fingers from moving.

"Hey, what happened? Did it go okay?"

"It went fucking awful, Allie. She freaked out after I asked her. She said we should've talked about it more seriously, she just wasn't ready yet. She said something about not seeing us together five years from now.

She said she thinks we need some space to figure this out. And you know what space means, I bet she'll break things off. Fuck, I knew I should've waited. It was too soon for that," Franky sighs heavily, crossing her arms on the table and laying her head down on top of them.

Bea puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

With her head down on the table, Franky begins laughing hysterically. Bea and Allie look at each other, trying to decide if they should join in or leave her be.

Franky gets herself under control and she picks her head up, grinning madly, "You know the worst part about it all?"

"What?"

"I'm just fucking with you guys."

It doesn't register right away what she's saying. Bea and Allie share a look of confusion.

"She said yes, you idiots."

Glares from both of them are all Franky receives in return.

"Are you serious?"

Allie punches her hard on the arm, "You jerk. Why would you joke about something like that?"

Franky clutches her arm, wincing, "I probably deserved that. So worth it though, you should have seen your faces. God, I should be an actress or something. That was hilarious."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Where is Bridget then?"

"She'll be back, she had to run home to get a change of clothes."

"How come?"

"We, ah, got a bit carried away with celebrating. I may have ripped her dress. So, which one of you lovely ladies is gonna buy me a drink to celebrate my special night?"

"First round is on me, I guess. I lost the bet."

"What did you bet on?"

"The reason for you calling so late. Bea said you were 'celebrating'."

"Aww, you know me so well."

Allie goes up to the bar, leaving Bea and Franky to visit. While there, she strikes up a conversation with a woman sitting at one of the bar stools.

Franky notices right away how often Bea keeps looking Allie's way. If she didn't know any better, she'd think Bea's a little jealous that Allie's talking to someone. Interesting.

"So, what's new with you, Red? Haven't seen you in a while. Hey."

She pokes Bea on the arm to get her attention.

"Sorry about that. What's new? Um, the salon has been pretty swamped so I've been pretty busy with that. The trial is coming up soon."

"End of next week, right?"

"Yeah."

"How's it looking?"

"It's looking good. But I'm really nervous about it. I just have this worry that things are gonna go wrong somehow. That he'll get off easy."

"That won't happen. Everything will work out just fine. I know it will."

"Thanks. But other than that, and other than working my ass off, not much is new for me."

"Not true," Allie chimes in, setting their drinks on the table, "Our friend here is going on a date."

Franky pats Bea on the back in congratulations, "Hey, good for you! Atta girl, getting yourself out there. Who's this person unfortunate enough to score a date with you?"

"Unfortunate? Ouch, that hurts."

"Just kidding. They're very lucky, you're a real catch."

"Am I now?"

"Oh yeah. You have a great personality, and with your looks on top of that, shit, Red, you got it all. I'm surprised they're not lining up to ask you out. You know, if I wasn't engaged, I'd be in that line."

"And I'd turn you down."

"And I'd go right to the back and try my luck again."

"Persistent, aren't you?"

"Yup. Now, what's this person's name?"

"Alex."

"Alex. Hold up, that could be a woman's name. Oh my, have you joined the team?"

"Not yet."

"Yet, she says. So it's a possibility?"

"I'm not gay, Franky."

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I'd have like…" she trails off, thinking in her head, "Yeah, I'd have like six dollars. But seriously, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

"Where's he taking you? Better be somewhere fancy, you're worth it."

"It's nothing special, we're just getting a drink. There's a bar he likes to go to."

"Now, the most important question, are you gonna give it up?"

"Give what up?"

"Oh, my sweet, innocent Red. Do I really need to spell it out? Starts with a p, ends with a y?"

Bea thinks for a moment, her eyes go wide when it clicks, "Oh my god, Franky. No, I'm not doing that."

"No? But what if he's a real panty-dropper? Then what are you gonna do?"

"Nothing. That won't happen."

"Are you sure? A good lay could be just what you need."

"That's the last thing I need. Or want."

"Huh. Why's that?"

"It's..."

Sensing Bea's discomfort with this conversation, Allie steps in, "Lay off, Franky."

"Just one sec. You're telling me you don't like sex, Red? Seriously? Let's get into that."

"I'd really rather not."

"Come on, don't be a prude."

"I'm not. I just don't want to talk about it."

"Isn't that the definition of one?"

"Fine. Why do you think I'm not into sex? You know the kind of man I was married to, do you think maybe it wasn't the most pleasant experience for me?"

"Are you saying he..."

"Yes. Can we drop it now?"

Bea's phone rings, she's never been more grateful to get a call from Deb. She excuses herself from the table to answer the well-timed call.

Allie turns to Franky once Bea's out of earshot, "Why did you have to push the issue? You couldn't tell she was uncomfortable?"

"I feel like a jerk now. But it's not like I knew. I thought she was just weird about sex in general. Think she's pissed at me?"

"Don't know."

"I hope not. So, what do you think about Red going out with Alex?"

"I think it's a good thing. I'm happy for her."

"Are you really?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem a little jealous to me."

"I'm not."

"It's okay if you are. I mean, I guess I don't blame you. I'd probably feel the same if I was in your position."

"Fine, I'm woman enough to admit that it sucks a little that she's not into me. But like I said, I'm not jealous. Even if I was, it'd probably be wrong of me. She can date whoever she wants to."

Franky doesn't exactly buy it, but she doesn't press any further.

"Deb told me to tell you congratulations," Bea says when she comes back a few minutes later, retaking her seat.

"Tell her thanks. And, look, what I said, I'm sorry. I should've dropped the subject sooner."

"It's fine. Sorry for snapping at you."

"I probably would have done the same thing. Still friends?"

"Of course we are. It'll take a lot more than that to make me not want to be your friend."

"Good to know. Now, why don't you give me the details on Alex? And maybe I won't say anything stupid."

Bea does just that, telling Franky what she had told Allie about Alex. Bridget finally shows up to the bar, all smiles when she walks through the door.

"There she is, the woman of the hour," Allie announces. She starts a slow clap, Bea joins her.

Bridget does a mock bow once she's at the table, "Hello ladies."

"I'm so happy for you," Allie says, pulling Bridget in for a tight hug before sitting back down.

Bridget grabs a seat, sitting next to Franky and kissing her cheek, "I'll have to get my dress fixed, thanks to you."

"Didn't have time to mess with the zipper, my love."

After Franky recounts how the proposal went and congratulations are given, and after a round of celebratory shots are taken, Bridget shows off the shiny new piece of jewelry that adorns her finger.

The drinks start flowing and an hour quickly passes by. Allie turns her attention to the door after a group of people enters the building, seeing a familiar face in said group. She gets Bea's attention by tapping her on the shoulder.

"Hey, you'll never guess who just walked in."

"Who?"

Allie nods her head towards the group, Bea sees Alex among them.

"Huh. I didn't expect to see him here."

"You should go say hi."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Don't be shy, we won't embarrass you. Too bad."

"I'll wait, he looks busy with his friends."

"Suit yourself."

Bea doesn't need to say hi, as Alex spots her a short ten minutes later. He heads for the bathroom, stopping by the table to talk to her on his way back. While Bea talks to Alex, Allie sees Franky look up at him, do a double-take, then lean over and whisper something to Bridget.

"I know," Bridget answers, just above an audible whisper.

Franky clenches her fist tightly in her lap, Bridget puts a hand on her knee to seemingly try and calm her down. This reaction doesn't sit well with Allie.

She sets that aside for now, turning to greet Alex. Bea introduces him to the rest of the table as well.

It's subtle, but Allie notices a hesitation from him when he's introduced to Franky. He offers her congratulations on the engagement, getting only a curt "thanks" in return.

After making a fair amount of small talk with him, Allie offers Alex a seat at their table. He politely declines.

"I would, but I should get back to my friends. Maybe another time. Bea, are we still on for this weekend?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

"Great, have a nice night, beautiful."

Once he walks away, Allie leans close to Bea, "He seems nice. And there's no doubt he's into you."

"Maybe so. Hey, Franky, do you know Alex from somewhere?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You just looked like you recognized him."

"I thought I did, he just looks like someone I know. My mistake."

Bea seems to buy it, but Allie doesn't at all. She can tell the story doesn't end there, and she wants to know sooner or later. Her suspicion grows even further after that short interaction with Alex, when Franky's demeanor takes a change.

She's less talkative, giving short answers to any and all questions Allie and Bea ask her. On two occasions, Allie catches her glaring daggers Alex's way.

Twenty minutes later, Franky is still silently fuming. It seems to get worse with the more she drinks. Wanting to get to the bottom of her attitude change before Bea notices too, Allie stands from the table.

"Franky, I need to run to the bathroom. Come with me?"

"You're a big girl, you can go alone."

"Just do it, please."

"What for? Do I need to hold your hand?"

Allie doesn't respond with words, she pulls Franky by the ear, causing her to stand up.

"Jesus, Allie. I'm coming, fuck sakes."

Franky reluctantly follows her into the bathroom.

"What's going on with you? Why are you acting so weird?"

"I'm not. Nothing's going on."

"Don't lie to me. Since Alex came over, you've been off. And the glares you're sending at him? What's up?"

"That's the guy Red's supposed to go out with? How in the hell does she know him?"

"He's her client, she cuts his hair. What's the big deal? Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him."

"And how?"

"Do you remember the night I brought Deb home with me?"

"After you ran into her at that concert."

"Right. Alex was there that night."

"Okay, and?"

"What happened to Deb while she was there? You remember?"

"Yeah, some guy put his hands on her. Oh... oh, shit. No way, he's the guy?"

Franky simply nods her head.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely. I never forget a face, you know that. And you didn't see how he barely even looked at me? He knows I know who he is."

"What are the odds? Bea won't be happy to hear that."

"No shit."

"And you're positive?"

"Yes, Allie. Gidge recognized him too. And I know for a fact Deb would remember."

"What now?"

"I definitely can't let this slide."

"I can't either."

"We gotta tell her. She needs to know before they go out."

"Right now? While he's here? That can't go well."

"Sooner than later is better, don't you think?"

"What if she doesn't believe us?"

"That's why I've held my tongue so far. Let's hope she's level-headed."

"Okay. Wait for me. When I get out of here, we'll tell her. And please, don't make a scene."

"I won't."

Franky leaves, Allie wonders how they're going to break the news to Bea. She would really hate to take a possible source of happiness away from Bea, but she cares about her too much to not say anything.

"Franky, what's up with you?" Bea asks her when she comes back.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, don't act like you haven't been short with me. And I saw you glaring daggers at Alex. What's your problem?"

She doesn't mean to sound so hostile, but she certainly comes off that way.

"My problem?" Franky scoffs, Bea's tone isn't one she appreciates.

"My problem is that Alex likes to prey on young girls."

If her face is anything to go on, that's the last thing Bea was expecting Franky to say.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You remember the guy that gave Deb a hard time at the concert I saw her at?"

"Yeah."

"It's him."

"What? No, no way. You're lying."

"I'm not. I wouldn't lie to you, I have no reason to. You don't have to believe me, but it's true. Gidget can back me up, she saw what happened that night too."

Bridget nods slowly, "It's true, Bea. I recognized him as soon as he came over."

"Franky, is this another one of your jokes?"

"No."

"And you're sure it's him, you're not mistaken?"

"A hundred percent, I never forget a face. Ask Deb if you need to, surely you'd believe your own daughter?"

Allie walks out of the bathroom, the scene she sees at the table is not ideal. Franky and Bea, in what seems like a heated discussion. She starts towards them, just reaching the table when Bea stands up.

"Bea, where are you going?"

Bea doesn't respond, brushing past Allie and making a bee-line for Alex. She steps right into the middle of him and his friends, saying something in his ear and leading him outside.


	19. XIX

Allie sets her sights on Franky after Bea leaves the building.

"What did you say to her? Why did she look so upset?"

"I told her the truth."

"I told you to wait."

"I was going to, but she came at me, asking what my problem is. So I told her what he did."

"Did she say anything?"

"She mostly listened, then off she went."

"All right, I'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"To make sure everything's okay out there."

Allie heads outside, the first person she runs into is Adam, smoking a cigarette.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Amy needed me to pick a few things up for her, so here I am."

"And the cigarette? I thought you were supposed to quit."

"I'm working on it. Maybe don't, uh, tell the wife you saw me smoking?"

"We'll see about that."

"I'd appreciate it. Anyways, I take it you're looking for Bea?"

"Yeah, have you seen her?"

Adam points to his left, Allie sees Bea and Alex standing further out in the parking lot next to his truck. Bea has her arms crossed, a serious look on her face. She doesn't look happy.

"Is that her boyfriend? Husband?"

"Neither, but they're supposed to be going on a date. Don't think that'll happen now though."

"They're having a pretty intense conversation."

"Looks like it. Did you hear anything?"

"Something about someone named Debbie. Let me guess, he has another woman on the side and Bea found out?"

"I promise you that's not the case."

"Do I want to know?"

"If I say no, are you going to make me tell you anyway?"

"Yup. You know I'm all about the drama."

"Fine. First off, Debbie isn't some other woman, she's Bea's daughter. A few weeks ago, she went to a concert. Some guy started harassing her while she was there, asking her questions that made her uncomfortable.

He put his hands on her when she tried to walk away from him. Franky was there too that night, she saw it and helped Deb out."

"He's the guy?"

"He's the guy."

"Wow. How does Bea know him?"

"He's a client of hers. She's a hairdresser."

"That's a pretty big coincidence."

"It sure is."

"And how old is Debbie?"

"Seventeen."

"What a scumbag. No wonder Bea looked so mad."

Allie focuses back on Bea and Alex after hearing her raised voice. She's able to catch what sounds like the end of their conversation.

"Don't contact me or come near me again. You better lose my number and I better not see you at the salon anymore. I mean it."

"That's it?"

"That's it, I don't know what else you expected."

"Come on, you're not at least going to give me a chance?"

"Are you kidding me? That's the last thing I'm going to do. If you thought I'd go out with you after something like this, you're a fucking idiot," Bea throws over her shoulder as she walks away.

Feeling that things out here are handled, Allie turns to make her way back inside. She's just about to the door when she hears it.

"You know, you should probably stop letting your daughter go out dressed like a slut. The next guy who approaches her might not be as nice as I was. Could be bad for her."

Allie's jaw drops. She takes a step back from the door, turning to face Adam, whose eyes have gone wide.

"Allie, did I hear that right? Did he really just say that?"

"He did. He's a dead man."

"Uh-oh."

Adam nods his head towards Bea, now stopped in her tracks. Her face changes from disbelief at what she just heard to an expression Allie's never seen on it before, intense anger. She can't help but notice how unbelievably hot Bea looks when she's mad, it's equally sexy as it is scary.

Bea turns on her heel and storms towards Alex at a frighteningly quick pace. Allie follows behind her, hoping to defuse the situation, knowing the alcohol Bea had is probably clouding her judgement and can't cause this to go well.

She manages to catch up, grabbing Bea by the arm in an attempt to hold her back. It proves to be more difficult than expected, Bea is surprisingly strong. She barely breaks her stride.

"Bea, leave it alone. Let's go back inside."

"No, are you serious?"

Bea pulls her arm from Allie's grasp. She continues on her path, coming to a stop in front of Alex.

"What did you just say?"

He makes a mistake by thinking it's a good idea to repeat that.

"You heard me. If she wasn't dressed like a slut-"

Bea sees red, and the slap that she gives him echoes through the parking lot. Alex puts a hand up to his cheek, she shoves him, his back hitting the side of his truck.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that, what's wrong with you?"

She gets in his face and shoves him a second time when he steps away from the truck. After seeing that, Adam snuffs out his cigarette, deciding to walk that way as well. This situation was entertaining at first, but now that Bea's escalating it by getting physical, he feels he should step in.

Allie again unsuccessfully tries to calm her down. This is a side of Bea she's never seen.

To get Bea out of his personal space, Alex returns a shove of his own. It's more forceful than necessary and causes her to stumble backwards, though she keeps her footing. He takes a step towards her but she stands her ground, she's not the slightest bit scared.

She's lived with a violent man for nearly half her life, Alex is nothing compared to him. He takes another step, she prepares to throw a punch when he gets too close.

Before he moves any further, Allie protectively steps in front of Bea. Alex towers over her, but she doesn't flinch.

"What are you going to do, hit her? Lay a single finger on her, I'll beat your ass all over this parking lot."

Realistically, she can't physically do that, but she'll damn sure make an effort of it if she has to.

"What, are you her bodyguard or something?"

"You're damn right. Now, I'd say it's time for you to leave."

Still not ready to let it go, Bea tries to get around Allie's right side, Allie blocks her. She tries from the left, Allie blocks her yet again, not taking her eyes off of Alex in case he tries to do something stupid.

"Allie, move," Bea says, her voice full of frustration.

"No, Bea. Sorry, but I think you need to walk away."

Adam arrives on the scene just in time to get in front of Bea before she forces her way past Allie. He puts his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place when she tries to get around him as well. Bea may be strong, but he's much stronger.

"Bea. As much as he deserves it, I can't have you fighting people at my place of business."

"Did you hear what he said about my daughter?"

"I heard him. But Allie's right, you need to walk away. Let me deal with him, go back inside with her."

"But-"

"No buts. Go with Allie."

He gently redirects her back towards the bar. She walks away no matter how much she doesn't want to, sending one last icy glare at Alex. Allie follows closely behind. Adam then turns his attention to Alex, who hasn't moved from his spot.

"Why are you still here? Did you not hear Allie? She said you should leave."

"I need to leave? Bullshit. You saw Bea hit me. She assaulted me."

"Oh grow some balls, she barely even touched you. Now get the fuck out of here before I let her do it again. I'm sure she'd love nothing more."

With nothing else to say, Alex gets into his truck and drives off. Adam goes back inside the bar, leaving Allie to tend to a furious Bea. She's so mad she's shaking, tears flowing freely.

"What happened out here?"

Bea takes a moment to compose herself before speaking, "He tried to deny it at first, he sat there and lied to my face. When I threatened to get Franky out here, he broke. He said he didn't know she was my daughter, he didn't know she was underaged.

Like that makes how he treated her any better? Then… you heard what he said. I can't believe this shit, I felt like I could trust him, and this is what I get? I feel so stupid right now. I thought he was nice, I thought he was a good guy."

It breaks Allie's heart to see her so upset. She closes the distance between them to pull Bea into a hug. Without thinking, she kisses her on the cheek. It's innocent enough, friendly affection. But Bea feels her knees go weak.

"Please don't cry, you know I hate seeing you do it. You couldn't have known it would play out like this. It's not your fault at all."

Bea relaxes at the embrace, "I know it's not, and you're right. I'm just angry. Could you imagine how Deb would feel if I let her meet him? She would hate me."

"She wouldn't hate you. You didn't know."

Bea steps away from Allie, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, "I really do have bad taste in men, huh?"

"Bea…"

"Just a joke. Can we go back inside now?"

"Sure we can. Let's go."

Once they're back inside, they head right back to their table. Bea ignores the stares she receives from Alex's group of friends along the way. She sits back down, noting Franky and Bridget eyeing her curiously.

"You good, Red?"

Bea puts her finger up and grabs her beer, taking a long swig. It's gone warm, but that's the last thing she's concerned with. She ends up drinking the rest before explaining what happened in the parking lot.

"And that's when I slapped him."

"He said that?" Franky slams her hand down on the table, "Fucker is so lucky I wasn't out there. He would've gotten worse than a slap from me."

"I'm sure he would have."

Adam stops by the table a few minutes after grabbing what he came for, to check on Bea and also give Franky congratulations. After he resists Franky's flirting, and attempts to exploit his soft spot for her, Bea sets about apologizing to him.

"Sorry for causing a scene tonight, Adam."

"No worries. You know, compared to the things that have gone on here, that was pretty tame."

"He's right, stranger things have happened," Allie confirms.

"Still, I feel like I made an ass out of myself."

"We all have at some point, Bea. And I for one can't say that dickhead didn't deserve what he got. I probably would have done the same if it was my kid he messed with.

Also, I'll make sure he's blacklisted, so he won't be coming back. But if he does happen to show up and you see him, please just let one of the bouncers handle it. Is that fair?"

"That's fair. Thanks for doing that."

"Anytime. I'll leave you lovely ladies to it, stay out of trouble."

Once he leaves, Bea sets her sights back on Franky. She feels she should apologize for sounding so hostile towards her, the last thing Franky deserved.

"Hey, Franky?"

"That's the name. You need something?"

"No, I just wanted to apologize for being so confrontational earlier. I didn't mean to be, and you didn't deserve it. You really did me a favor by telling me about him."

"No sweat, my friend. I'm just sorry it turned out that way. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll get over it."

"Glad to hear it. Now, how about we get nice and drunk, and forget about this whole thing?"

"That sounds tempting, but I think I'm gonna go. Kind of just want to be home right now."

"Oh come on, just one more drink."

"I don't know…"

"I normally would give you a bunch of shit, but I'll let it slide this time. If you really want to go, that's fine."

"Well, maybe one more drink wouldn't hurt me."

"That's what I like to hear."

Twenty minutes and another round of drinks for everyone later, Franky manages to talk Bea into sticking around for a bit longer. Somehow the idea of a drinking contest comes up, and before Bea knows it, Franky's challenging her to one.

She tried her best to refuse, but Franky certainly has a way with words that makes it hard to say no. They agree on a reward, a decent sum of money the four of them pooled together.

Franky rubs her hands together excitedly, "All right, we'll go shot for shot. Allie, fetch us a bottle and two glasses."

"You know this comes out of my paycheck, right? Bottles aren't free."

"Well, the loser will get you back. So when Red loses, she'll be giving you some money."

"When I lose? How do you know you'll win?"

"Trust me, I just know."

"We'll see about that. Just remember, this contest was your idea."

Allie picks out a bottle of rum and brings it back to the table, placing it in the middle of Franky and Bea.

"If one of you throws up, I'm not cleaning it."

She pours the first shots for the duo then sits back to watch how things are going to unfold. Little known to Franky, Bea is about to drink her under the table, as she has no trouble holding her liquor.

Bea takes her turn first. The first several shots between them go down without a problem. Franky starts out strong, and puts up a good fight, but she slows down somewhere along the way.

Bea takes her next shot, then waits patiently for Franky to take hers. By the look on Franky's face, she's less than thrilled about it.

"Are you going to drink it, or just stare at it all night?"

"I'm going to, I just… need a minute. Don't rush me."

"Franky, it's pretty clear you can't drink that."

"Yes, I can."

"Then do it already."

"Pushy one, aren't you? Fuck it, here goes."

Franky throws the shot back, a grimace finding its way onto her face after she swallows. Bea refills their glasses, takes her next one, then looks at Franky expectantly. Franky shakes her head and slides her glass away, hanging her head in defeat.

"I quit. I can't do it."

To add further insult to injury, Bea drinks the shot she couldn't. Allie takes Bea's hand and raises it above her head as a mock victory salute.

"Just rub it in my face, Allie. Red, how the fuck are you still drinking?" She widens her eyes at the additional shot she takes with Allie in celebration of her win, "And how do you look like you've just been sipping water all night?"

"I can handle my alcohol."

To illustrate, Bea sticks her hand straight out. It's steady, only the slightest hint of a tremor. Even with her tolerance, she's not completely immune to the effects of alcohol.

"Shit. You hustled me."

"Sure did, now pay up."

Franky coughs up the prize money, grumbling about being cheated. She changes her tune when Bea suggests a rematch in the near future. The rest of the night passes by and winds down.

The effects of the contest and the other drinks she had hit Franky all at once on her way back from the bathroom. She trips over her own feet and takes a spill, indicating she probably shouldn't have imbibed so much. Bea rushes over to check on her, feeling responsible for her current state.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I drank too much."

"Huh. I wonder what makes you say that," she replies dryly.

"Would you be a dear and help me up?"

"Sure. Wait. This wasn't some trick so you could just pull me over like I did to you, was it?"

"I've never been so insulted in my life. You think so little of me that I would do that to you?"

"Yes."

"You're right not to trust me, that's exactly what I was going to do. But I won't. Now will you help me up?"

Bea puts a hand out to pull her to her feet, which is more difficult than anticipated. She's not nearly as drunk as Franky, but she's still plenty far from sober.

She tries one more time before giving up and enlisting Allie for help. With an extra set of hands, they're able to pick Franky up and guide her back to the table. Allie leaves to get her a much needed glass of water.

"What are you doing after this?" Bea asks when she gets back.

"Not much, I don't think. Why?"

"Do you want to come back to my place?"

"Afterparty? I'll let Franky know, but I don't think she can handle that."

"Oh, I actually meant just you."

"Just me?"

"Just you."

"Why just me though?"

"Does there have to be a reason? What if I just want to hang out with you?"

"No, I guess there doesn't have to be. That sounds good to me. Whenever you're ready to go."

"Hey, do you two need a ride? I should probably get Franky home," Bridget points at Franky with her head in her hands, beginning to doze off.

"Can you drive?"

"I'm fine, I only had two drinks. I'll take care of the tab, can you two get her to my car?"

Bridget hands Bea her keys then gets their tab sorted. The three of them head outside, Frank leaning on Bea and Allie both for support. They make it to the car, Bea unlocks it while Allie helps Franky get in.

"I ever tell you how beautiful you are, Allie?"

"Many times, Franky, many times."

"Or how much I love you? I love you so much, if you didn't know. I don't know what I would ever do-"

Allie cuts her off by shutting the car door.

"God, she's in that stage of drunk."

"I've never seen her like this."

"It happens from time to time. Just wait, she'll be telling you she loves you next."

Allie and Bea get in the car, Bridget comes out a few minutes later and drives off. Their ride is filled with the sounds of Franky drunkenly rambling about various things. Allie listens closely, gathering ammunition to embarrass her with in the future.

After a short drive, Bridget pulls up outside of the house. Allie and Bea climb out of the car, Franky sticks her head and most of her upper body out of the open passenger window.

"Bye, Red! Love ya, girl!"

"She really is hammered, isn't she, Allie?"

"Oh yeah. She'll definitely be hating life in the morning."

"I can hear you guys, and I'm drunk that not. Wait, shit. I'm not that drunk."

"Sure you're not. I love ya too, Franky," Bea replies, chuckling.

"She said it back! Gidge, did you hear that?"

"Yes, the whole neighborhood did too. Now get back in the car."

They drive away, Franky waving goodbye like a madwoman.

"Well, it's official, Bea."

"What is?" Bea asks as she fetches her keys from her pocket.

"You're now part of the Franky drunkenly confessing her love club."

"I feel honored."

Bea turns to the front door to open it. She fumbles the key in her hand, struggling to get it in the lock. Her hand is a bit less steady than half an hour ago.

"Shit," she curses under her breath.

"Need help?"

Allie steps forward, Bea wordlessly presses the key into her hand. She successfully unlocks the door and leads them into the house, turning on some lights.

She takes a seat on the couch while Bea puts on some music. She questions the absence of her favorite teenaged girl.

"No Deb tonight?"

"Not tonight. She's staying with a friend."

"I see. So, what kind of trouble are we getting into here?"

"You want to do something with me?"

"Sure. Like what?"

"Drink with me until I forget about what happened with Alex tonight? I know it's probably not the healthiest, but it's what I feel like doing right now."

"If that's what you want, let's do it. This should be fun, I've never seen you drunk before. What are we drinking?"

"Wait here."

Bea disappears out to the garage. She comes back a minute later with a bottle of expensive tequila and two shot glasses.

"Harry was saving this for a special occasion, but he won't be needing it now, will he?"

Allie leaves the couch and joins her in the kitchen, "Is that a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea."

"Of course you do."

"I mean, I was serious about forgetting."

"Fuck, I hope I don't regret saying this. Pour."


	20. XX

"Fuck, I hope I don't regret saying this. Pour."

With that, Bea opens up the bottle then pours them one shot each. Allie takes a sniff after she hands it over, her face twisting up as if she just smelled something rotten.

"Not a tequila fan?"

"We don't have the best relationship."

"If you don't want it…"

"It's fine, I can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Down the hatch."

After the swallow, Allie feels a shiver run through her body and she has to make an effort to keep from gagging.

"Oh fuck me, that was not pleasant."

"First is always the worst. The next one will be better."

"Next one? You're insane."

"Feel free to sit it out."

As a response, Allie silently sets her glass on the counter, motioning for Bea to refill it.

"Thought so."

Bea pours them another round. As she said, it goes down more smoothly than the first. For her, anyway. Allie has just about the same reaction.

The taste of tequila brings back bad memories of when she had it for her birthday last year. Why Franky felt the need to buy the largest bottle possible, she's still not sure.

The shots that night kept coming and coming until she wound up on the bathroom floor, sicker than ever before. She felt like death the next day and promised herself to never touch "to kill ya" as she likes to call it, again.

Up until just a few minutes ago, she's managed to stick to that promise, the times Franky tricked her into drinking it being the exceptions.

"You okay over there?"

Bea can sense her hesitation to pick up the next shot after it's been poured.

Allie nods her head, "I'm fine."

"You don't have to drink another one if you don't want to. I promise it won't hurt my feelings."

"I'm good. Besides, it's no fun watching someone else drink."

"If you're sure."

After they down the third, Allie taps out as soon as Bea gets ready to refill their glasses. She hasn't had this much to drink in quite a long time, and she's rapidly approaching her limit.

Any more could send her over the edge into getting sick territory, which won't be fun for anyone. She probably could've quit after the first shot, but wanted to help Bea forget about tonight's events. Even if that meant suffering through the hangover she'll no doubt have tomorrow.

Looking back at Bea, Allie sees that she's not looking so great after that last shot. She definitely doesn't feel so great either.

Everything she drank seems to have finally caught up with her and she feels the room starting to spin. Allie wraps an arm around her to keep her steady just as she stumbles back from the counter.

"I got you. Why don't we sit?"

"Good idea."

Allie guides her into the living room, she all but falls down onto the couch. She grabs them both a water bottle from the fridge then sits next to Bea.

As the two of them sit and chat for a while, Allie notices that Bea is acting differently. She's sitting closer than usual and she's more talkative than her usual self.

Her overall demeanor has changed since they got back to her house, Allie can't place what it is exactly. She chalks it up to the copious, copious amounts of alcohol Bea consumed throughout the night.

She finds herself curious as to how Bea's still functioning, she probably would have blacked out by now. It seems her tolerance truly is no joke.

"Did it work?"

"Did what work?" Bea asks, her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

"Have you forgotten about what happened yet?"

Bea sits upright, nodding in response, "I'm starting to. Thanks for being here, it really helps."

"No problem, I'm glad to be here."

"And thanks for suffering through shots for me. I take it tequila isn't your favorite."

"It's not, but anything for you. So, are you gonna tell Deb what happened?"

"I'm going to, maybe not exact details though. I'm not sure what to say, really. I still can't believe it happened, like, what are the odds of that?"

"Just how life goes sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Maybe just tell her that you changed your mind. Or say it didn't work out. That's technically the truth."

"The best kind of truth. Maybe I'll go with the changed my mind part. That's most accurate."

"How so?"

"Well, I had actually planned on letting him down. I wasn't going to go out with him. When he showed up at the bar, I didn't want to do it right then and there. Then everything happened with him and I didn't need to tell him no."

"Why weren't you going to go out with him though? I thought you wanted to?"

"I thought I did too. I guess I just wasn't ready to get back on the dating scene yet, you know?"

"I get it. If you weren't ready, you weren't ready. You can tell her that, then."

"Yeah."

At a lapse in conversation between them, Allie picks up Bea's sketchbook from the table in front of the couch, wanting to see what she's been drawing lately.

While she's browsing over the drawings, she sees Bea staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head and meets Bea's eyes, Bea quickly looks elsewhere.

She brushes it aside to continue looking through the next couple of pages, stopping at a new sketch of Deb that's still in progress. She's busy looking the sketch over when she catches Bea looking her way again.

Just when Allie's about to ask her what's up, Bea leans forward and plants a kiss on her cheek, just as Allie had done two hours ago. Allie closes the book and sets it back down, turning towards her.

"What was that for?"

Bea simply shrugs, "You did it earlier, just returning the favor. Sorry, did you not want that?"

"No, I'm just surprised is all. I forgot I did that."

"So you wouldn't mind if I do it again?"

_Is this really happening right now? She wants to do it again?_

"No, I wouldn't."

Bea kisses her cheek again. She does it once more, this time blowing a raspberry on it.

Allie wipes the spot on her cheek with a hand, "That tickles."

"Oh, does it?"

Bea tries it again, Allie leans back out of her reach just in time. With Bea being stronger, despite how drunk she is, she pulls Allie forward by her shoulders with ease. Allie tries her best to squirm away to no avail.

Bea blows yet another one. Allie successfully makes some distance between them, using one of the couch pillows as a shield of sorts.

"Bea, knock it off."

"Make me," Bea says, feeling surprised at this boldness.

Allie feels just as surprised. She only said two words, but the sudden change in Bea's tone makes them sound all the more suggestive. Hearing this makes her spine tingle. She sets the pillow aside, looking at Bea curiously.

Does she mean what I think she means?

Because to her, this reads very much as an 'I dare you to kiss me' type scenario. Feeling brave, no doubt from the liquid courage in her system, she inches her face closer to Bea's to test the waters, hoping that she's not about to make the wrong move.

She expects Bea to move away or tell her that she's misreading this situation, but it doesn't happen. She moves even closer to Bea, their faces coming dangerously close together.

When Bea still doesn't back away, Allie takes a chance and closes the remaining distance between them. She quickly pecks Bea on the lips, nothing more than that, nothing less.

She leans in close to Bea's ear, "Did it work?"

She says it in the same suggestive tone of voice as Bea did moments ago. She waits for Bea to say something, anything. Bea doesn't respond, so Allie pulls back to look at her face.

"What are you thinking about?"

It's an honest question. She wants to know, she can't tell. Bea can put on one hell of a poker face when she wants to. Just like right now.

But, Allie knows to look at her eyes, they're what seem to tell everything her expression doesn't. She does just that, what she sees in her eyes is answer enough and nearly makes her heart leap from her chest.

If 'kiss me again' has a look, this is it. Allie can't resist, she inches her face closer yet again.

The room is warm, but Bea feels freezing cold for some reason. Allie rests her hand on Bea's arm, feeling the bumps raised from her skin and feeling Bea tremble under her touch.

"Is this okay? You're shaking."

"I'm cold."

"No, you're not. Do I make you nervous?"

Bea gives the slightest of nods. Allie starts to back away, thinking that it's for the best. Bea begins to follow when she does, Allie takes this as a sign to proceed further.

She really, really just wants to pull Bea close and kiss her senseless. Feeling that would be much too forward, she settles on pressing her lips to Bea's in a tender kiss.

She lingers longer this time before pulling away. She doesn't want to push her luck tonight or make Bea uncomfortable.

She waits for Bea to make the next move, if she so chooses. Bea looks up at her, Allie feels butterflies at the gaze she's under. Bea's never looked at her this way before.

To her surprise and delight, Bea leans forward and kisses her back, returning the same, and then more intensity. It's rather short lived, however.

Bea's eyes go wide and she backs away. She gets quiet and looks straight ahead, not looking at Allie once.

Her heart is racing. Allie gives her a moment to compose herself.

"You okay?"

"You kissed me," Bea states the obvious.

"Nothing gets by you, huh?" Allie teases. "You started it, you know."

"Yeah, but on the cheek. You went for the lips."

"Was that not what you wanted?"

Bea doesn't respond, she stands from the couch unsteadily before heading towards her bedroom, a sway in her step.

"Bea?"

"I'll be back."

Bea makes it to her room, shutting the door behind her. She takes a seat on her bed, wondering what just happened. They just kissed.

That's obvious, but what confuses her is how it made her feel, and how bad she now wants to do it again. Kissing Allie did something to her that she couldn't imagine. In all her years, she's never had a kiss that felt so electrifying.

Why did she start that little game? She only meant to kiss Allie on the cheek one time. But once she did, the need she felt to do it again was overwhelming. What a strange turn of events.

Bea's been gone for a few minutes, and Allie starts to worry. She's starting to think kissing Bea was the wrong thing to do. She's starting to think it wasn't what she wanted after all and that's why she hasn't come back yet.

But then again, Bea wouldn't have kissed her back if she wasn't okay with that, right? She hopes she's right, and that she didn't make Bea feel pressured into doing something she didn't want to.

To her relief, Bea finally emerges from her room, retaking her seat on the couch. They sit in a silence that's unusually tense until Allie works up the nerve to say something.

"Hey, sorry for doing that. But what you said, and how you said it... if I read that wrong somehow, that's my bad. If you didn't want that, I'm sorry."

Bea doesn't reply, she's not really sure what to say right now. Her silence makes Allie fear the worst.

"I should go. Should I go? I should go."

Hearing this prompts Bea to speak up.

"Allie, no. You don't have to leave. Besides, how will you even get home?"

"I can call Bridget."

"Don't be ridiculous. Just stay here, okay? For the record, I'm not mad at you for doing that. It's on me. I… I don't know what I was expecting. Can we forget?"

Bea soon bids Allie good night, leaving her on the couch to wonder how this is going to affect things with them. She's not quite sure what this means since they didn't exactly talk about it.

Was the kiss just a drunken mistake on Bea's part? Or is there something more on her end?

She's well aware of her feelings for Bea, but she can't be sure if they're mutual. Something she does know is that she wants to feel Bea's lips on hers again at some point, though it's probably unlikely now.

She's been on the receiving end of many kisses, but none have felt like that. If she had to describe it, she'd say her brain exploded. An exaggeration, sure, but she's not sure how else to put it. It really was something else.

As she rolls over to go to sleep, she thinks things are going to be weird between them now, she's almost certain of it.

* * *

The next morning, Allie wakes up long before Bea does. She's up for around an hour waiting for Bea to come out of her room, but she never does. Allie assumes she's either still sleeping or just not wanting to come out yet.

It's the latter. Bea's been awake for a while now too, she actually woke before Allie did. She's contemplating what happened last night and how to face Allie this morning.

Deciding not to wait around any longer, Allie calls Bridget and gets a ride set up. A short while later, Bridget shows up, texting Allie to let her know she's arrived. Bea still hasn't made an appearance.

Wanting to at least let Bea know she's leaving, Allie makes way to her bedroom. She intends to knock on the door but Bea pulls it open before she can, making her jump back in surprise.

"Oh, you scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry. Um, what were you doing out here?"

"Just coming to let you know I'm heading home."

"You are?"

"Yeah, Bridget's waiting for me downstairs."

"Oh, okay, then."

"I'll see you around. Tell Deb hi for me."

"I will. See you."

Allie walks out the door, Bea sighs and raises a palm to her forehead at how weird that goodbye felt. Allie makes it to Bridget's car, also cringing internally at that most awkward goodbye.

Once she and Bridget leave, Bridget drops her at the bar to collect her car. They then part ways, Allie heads home.

After taking some pills for her raging headache once she gets there and after taking a shower, she gives Franky a call to get advice on what happened with Bea last night.

"What?" Franky grumbles, clearly hungover.

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning? How do you feel?"

"Bleh. I'm sure you saw the picture Gidge sent last night."

"I did. Holding onto the toilet for dear life."

"It's official, I'm never drinking again."

"I've heard that one before."

"I mean it this time."

"I've heard that one before too."

"Hey, have some faith in me. Now, what do you want? You better have a good reason for waking me up this early."

"Yeah, I need-"

"Hold that thought. How's Red, is she okay with what happened last night?"

"I think so. It sure seems like she's over it."

"Still sucks how it went. I wish he could have been a decent guy for her."

"Same here."

"Anyway, what do you need?"

"I need some advice."

"I might have some to spare. Is it about Red?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Just assumed. Gidge said you were acting off when she picked you up from her house. Did something happen with her?"

"You could say something happened with her."

"What?"

"Um, I kissed her."

"Shit, really?"

"Really."

"Well? Give me details."

"At the bar last night, she was really upset after what happened with Alex, so I hugged her and I kissed her on the cheek to try and comfort her, you know?"

"That's what you need advice about? That seems pretty innocent, I've done that to you plenty of times."

"That's the thing though. It didn't end there."

"I see. Do tell."

"After we got back to her house, she was acting differently. Sitting close, talking more than usual. We were on the couch and she kissed me back on the cheek out of nowhere.

She said she was returning the favor when I asked her why. Then she asked if I minded if she did it again."

"Okay, I'm liking where this is going."

"I told her I didn't mind so she did it again. But then she started messing with me, blowing raspberries on my cheek. She did it twice before I told her to knock it off."

"What did she say?"

"She said 'make me'."

"What was her tone?"

"Seductive as hell. It made me tingle. What do you make of that?"

"To me, that sounds like she was daring you to kiss her. So you put one right on her lips, didn't you?"

"I did, just a quick one."

"How'd she react?"

"She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes told me all I needed to know. So I did it again.

I broke it off because I didn't want to go too far, then she kissed me back. Practically shoved her tongue down my throat."

"And then what?"

"She backed off and got all quiet, then went to her room. She was gone for a while, I apologized when she came back."

"How come?"

"I kind of felt like I took advantage. She was pretty drunk. I'm thinking maybe she didn't want me to do that."

"Did she tell you no at any point?"

"Well, no, but…"

"I think you're good. If she didn't want you to kiss her, I'm sure she would've said something."

"Unless she was scared to say no."

"I think you're putting too much thought into it. What happened after that?"

"She said it was on her and asked if we could forget. It was awkward for a bit, then we went to bed. And now, here we are."

"Huh."

"Yeah, so what do you think about that? Do you think it was just a one-off since she was wasted? Or do you think there's something more? Is she actually into me? I'm getting very mixed signals from her."

"I think it's pretty clear that she is. Unless her tongue in your mouth wasn't hint enough? She's into you more than she lets on. That's what I've always thought, anyway."

"But if she is, why do you think she was planning to go out with Alex? I actually found out she was going to let him down before they went out, if that matters."

"She was? Why's that?"

"She said she wasn't ready to get back to dating again yet."

"I guess that makes sense. She is pretty fresh out of a relationship."

"True. And as for her going out with him before she changed her mind? Any thoughts?"

"Hm. That's a good question."

"You have an answer for me?"

"I don't know, I can't see inside her head, Allie. I think that's something only she could tell you."

"Yeah, you're probably right. So, how should I handle this? Pretend nothing happened, or...?"

"Well, I can't say I've been in this position before. Maybe give her some space to think, then talk about it if she wants."

"But what if she doesn't want to talk about it?"

"Couldn't tell you. Best I can say is let her bring it up first. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you into her more than you let on? You have feelings for her, don't you?"

Franky can feel Allie sigh through the phone.

"I do. I've had them for a while. I know I said it wouldn't happen, but it did. I can't get her out of my head, Franky."

"Glad to hear you finally admit it. I can't say I blame you, I see why you would, she's pretty great. And I know how close you two have gotten."

"I really, really like her."

"I take it you didn't tell her how you feel?"

"Obviously not, that's the first thing I would've told you."

"Hey, no need to get snippy."

"Sorry."

"So that's a no, then?"

"That's a no. Last night wasn't the right time. And she's got the trial to worry about too, I think the last thing she needs right now is me confessing my feelings to her. That, and I'm kind of scared to tell her."

"Why?"

"If she doesn't actually feel something for me, I don't think she'll react well. It's happened before, I tell them, they don't feel the same, and we drift apart. I don't want to push her away."

"But what if she does react well?"

"What if she doesn't though?"

"Ah, that's your pessimistic side showing. So you're not going to say anything?"

"Not yet. I think I'll wait for the trial to get over with."

"And after that, when?"

"After that, I don't know."

"I hope you don't plan on just waiting around until she admits she feels something for you. Because I really doubt she'll be the first one to say something."

"Maybe if I'm lucky she will."

"I don't think you'll be that lucky. You know the longer you wait to tell her how you feel, the more it's going to eat you up inside."

"I know."

"And eventually it's going to come out."

"I know."

She knows it's a matter of time until she can't keep her feelings for Bea inside anymore. After last night, she has a feeling that day will come soon. She's been struggling with them since they started developing.

She tried not to let her, but Bea has taken her heart and flipped it every which way. Nearly every day she does or says something that makes Allie fall for her a little more, makes her attraction to Bea stronger.

"Now, enough of me telling you what you already know. Why don't we get down to the most important detail?"

"Which is?"

"How was the kiss?"

"God, it was something else. Better than I thought it'd be. She's an amazing kisser, probably the best I've had and that's no lie."

"That good?"

"That good. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's done it a time or two."

* * *

Bea gets back to work a couple of days later. She hasn't heard from Allie, though she hasn't reached out either. About midday, Maxine comes by the salon to see how it's been running with Bea in charge and to also take her to lunch.

She's heard nothing but good things about Bea, which comes as no surprise to her. She had no doubts Bea was good for the position.

They take time to catch up a bit, Maxine fills Bea in on how her treatments have been going. She's experiencing the unfortunate side effect of her hair beginning to fall out which she keeps hidden under a bandana now.

She's also lost a bit of weight since the last time she and Bea saw each other. And yet, she's still in high spirits, Bea notices. If the signs weren't obvious, one could hardly tell she's sick.

"All right, Bea. Spill it," Maxine says about the time they finish eating.

She's noticed Bea seemingly distracted and being pretty quiet which isn't super uncommon, but her silence is more pronounced today. It's stood out to her since they met up this afternoon.

"Spill what?"

"What's got you so distracted today? You've been staring off into space ever since I got to the salon. That's not like you. What's on your mind?"

Bea hadn't planned on telling anybody about what happened that night with Alex and then Allie after that. But she knows talking about it better than not, and Maxine is a person she can open up to.

"Okay, I'll tell you. You know that client of mine, Alex?"

"The handsome one that's always flirting with you? Yeah, you've been seeing him for years."

"He had asked me out, I said yes. But before we could go out, I found something out about him. It turns out he's not the person I thought he was, he's not such a great guy after all."

She explains what happened with Deb and what happened at the bar after she confronted Alex about it.

"You weren't kidding about him not being so great. He sounds like a piece of work. I'm sorry to hear that happened for you. I take it he won't be around the salon any time soon?"

"I'm over it now. And no, he won't be coming to the salon anymore. He put my daughter in an uncomfortable position, there's no way I can see past that."

"I don't blame you. Now, what else is on your mind? That's not all, is it?"

"No, there's more. So, Allie was there when I found out about him. I was pretty upset about it, so she hugged me to comfort me, you know? She kissed me on the cheek too. It felt... different. I felt something, it's hard to explain.

Anyway, we ended up back at my house later that night. I kissed her back on the cheek, and when I did, I really wanted to do it again. So I did, a couple of times."

She tells of how she began messing with Allie before things got a little more serious.

"You told her to make you? Bea, who knew you could be so bold?"

"I know. Trust me, I surprised myself. I think I have the alcohol to thank for that."

"And? What did she do?"

"She looked surprised at first, but she did. She, uh, kissed me on the lips. Just a peck."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I let her do it again. A longer kiss that time. I can't describe how it felt. She broke it off and pulled away and then…"

"And then? There's more?"

"Something came over me, let's just say I didn't let her go far. It got a little heated. There was tongue," she admits with a blush.

"Oh, my. How was it?"

"Oh my god. I've never been kissed like that before, it's never felt like that. It was definitely something else."

"What happened after that?"

"I backed away, and I didn't know what to say. So I went to my room to I don't know, clear my head? When I came back, she apologized for it, and it was awkward for a bit until we went to bed. But I don't want her to be sorry for it."

"Did you talk about it?"

"Not really. She said she was sorry, and I told her it was on me. That's it. She left the next morning, and that brings us to now. So I don't know what this means for us."

"What do you want it to mean?"

"I don't know. I do like her, a lot. I haven't felt this way about someone in a really long time. The hard part for me is trying to imagine us as more than just friends."

"Is it because she's a woman? I thought we talked about this?"

"I know we did, but I'm still confused by what it means for me. I always considered myself straight, but now?"

"You don't have to label yourself."

"I know I don't, but I just feel like it'd help me figure out who I am. Allie knew who she was since she was a teenager. I think I'd like to know too."

"I get it. I'm not exactly an expert, I don't know if anybody truly is, but maybe I can help. The thing I've learned about sexuality is it's a spectrum, and I understand wanting to know where you lie on it.

I'm sure at your age, it can be even more confusing. Especially if you've never really had the chance to explore your sexuality. Which I'm guessing is the case for you."

"Right. I was with Harry for so long, so I don't know anything different."

"So let me ask, have you ever found yourself attracted to women?"

"Until I met Allie, no. I could recognize if they were attractive, but it never went further than that for me. She's the only one that has made me feel this way."

"And what about men? Say when you were younger. Before Harry."

"Before I met Harry, I didn't pay much attention. I honestly didn't have much interest in relationships when I was that young.

Sure, I had a boyfriend or two before him, but they weren't very serious and it wasn't because I necessarily wanted one. My friends all had one and I just wanted to fit in."

"And when you met Harry?"

"When I met him, I think it was more his personality I was attracted to. I mean, I did sleep with him so I guess there was a physical aspect."

"What about while you were married? Did you ever look at other men?"

"God, no. I didn't dare look at any other men than him because that would set him off, so I don't really know."

"Let's go back to what you said about a physical aspect, that brings up a question."

"Shoot."

"Before that, I want to ask, when it came to kissing Allie, you had no problem with it?"

Bea shakes her head in the negative, "No. It was surprisingly easy."

"Could you see yourself doing that with other women?"

"Honestly, when I think about it, it feels weird. But with her, it felt... natural, I guess I'd say."

"That's good. Now my question if I can get a little less pg-rated, how about when you think about more than just kissing? Could you see yourself in that position with anybody? Men, women, Allie?"

"Well, it's a little uncomfortable for me to think about. With anyone, really. But that's just because of my experience with sex in general. Harry kind of ruined it for me, if you know what I mean."

Maxine nods in understanding, she knows what Bea's hinting at.

"So I don't know if I'd be comfortable with anybody when it comes to that."

"And that's perfectly understandable. Just thought I should ask."

"So, what are your thoughts about this?"

"Hm. Well, like I said, I'm no expert. But I think if you explore your feelings with Allie, and I hope you do this time, things might become clearer for you. If you start a relationship with her, I think that could help put things into perspective for you as it develops.

And if you still find yourself unsure of things and what you may want to identify as over time, just know that's perfectly fine too. Keep that in mind. I hope that helps."

"It does help. What do you think? What should I do about Allie now?"

"I think there's only one thing you can do. Talk to her and tell her how you feel."

"I'm scared though, what if she doesn't like me like that and rejects me? I really don't want to mess up our friendship, I feel something like that could."

"I see where you're coming from. I know it might be scary for you, but sometimes you just have to take a leap without looking.

You never know, she could feel the same way about you. If you think about it, she could be scared to tell you as well.

She could be just as worried about your friendship and you rejecting her. That could be keeping her from saying something."

"She very well could be, I did tell her when we first met that I was only wanting to be friends with her."

"When are you going to see her again?"

"I don't know. Things are kind of strange between us right now. I haven't heard from her since that night, I think she's giving me space.

I'll have to invite her over to talk once I get the nerve. Thanks for your advice, it's been eating me up."

"You're very welcome. I'm glad I could help. I'm happy for you. I've never met Allie, but from what you've told me, she sounds wonderful. I think she's the right person for you."

Bea feels a lot better after that talk, her mind is more at ease. It's clear to her now that her feelings for Allie have moved out of just friendly territory.

She thinks it's probably what she's been feeling lately, and why she couldn't realize it sooner, she's not a hundred percent sure. She has a feeling it's a combination of denial and maybe fear of these new things she's never felt before.

After Harry, she didn't think she'd fall for another person again, let alone a woman. A beautiful, wonderful woman.

That matters less to her now though, Allie makes her feel the way she does, and that's what she wants to focus on. She's going to roll with things and maybe she'll find out who she is along the way.

Now, she just has to get through the hard part, telling Allie how she feels. All she hopes is that Maxine is right and the feelings are mutual.


	21. XXI

The next several days go by in a blur, and it's now been four days since the night at Bea's house and the kiss she and Allie shared. They still have yet to talk, the longest they've gone without speaking since they met.

Allie hasn't reached out to Bea, still wanting to give her some space. Bea hasn't reached out to Allie, wanting to wait until after the trial to have her over and tell her how she feels. She'd rather get that out of the way first then go from there.

Little known to Bea, over the last few days, Debbie has noticed a shift between her and Allie. She has a hunch that something happened between them, though she's not sure what exactly.

From what she's seen, they haven't been talking for some days. She's used to seeing Bea on her phone, sending messages back and forth with Allie, but she hasn't seen it this week.

Not since before that night they were at the bar with Bridget and Franky. Wanting to find out if there's something going on, she sticks around for a few extra minutes before leaving for school.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, Deb?"

"Question for you."

"Let me guess, you want to hang out with Brayden after school again?"

It's a pretty common occurrence these days, Deb's free time is usually spent with the boy in question and their other friends. Bea doesn't mind it too much, so long as it doesn't get in the way of her schooling.

As far as she can tell from the interactions she's had with him recently, Brayden is a decent kid. As decent a kid his age can be. He's pretty personable, and sweet to Deb, which is all she wants.

While she's a little less wary of him than when he and Deb first got together, she still can't shake her dislike for him. She chalks it up to her protectiveness of Deb, and hopes that she can stop feeling this way about him sometime soon.

"Well, yeah, I do. If that's okay?"

"Sure. As long as you're home at a decent hour. What are you going to be doing?"

"We have a big test coming up, so just studying for that."

"Studying, or _studying_?" Bea puts her fingers into air quotes to illustrate.

"Mom, no. Just studying."

"If you say so. I don't think I need to tell you that's one of the oldest excuses in the book."

"I say so. If you really must know, we haven't done anything. And I know what you're going to ask, no, he isn't pressuring me to either. He's good to me."

"And that's all I want for you, is someone to be good to you. Just, be safe when it comes to it, okay? I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet."

"Trust me, I'm not ready to be a mother yet. I can barely take care of myself, you think I can take care of a baby? Now enough about me and Brayden, let's talk about you and Allie. That's what I really wanted to ask, what's up with you two?"

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't been around much. And I'm pretty sure you guys haven't been talking. That's what it looks like to me, anyway."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. We've just been busy with work lately. We haven't had time to talk much or see each other."

It's only half a lie on Bea's end, the salon has been pretty busy this week. Even if things weren't weird between them right now, she still probably wouldn't have time to see Allie.

"Are you sure nothing happened? You and her were fine last week."

Bea's now beginning to regret teaching Deb to be so observant of her surroundings. She should've known she would pick up on things.

"And we still are fine. If that changes, you'll be the first to know. I promise."

"What happened that night at the bar? That's the only thing that's happened before you two stopped talking."

"Deb, drop it. Now, you should get a move on, you're going to be late for school."

"Fine. I'll see you tonight."

Deb leaves, not feeling at all convinced that nothing happened. Bea shutting her down like that only furthers her suspicion. There's more to the story, but if Bea doesn't want her to know, there's not much she can do about it.

On her walk to school, she gets the idea to ask Allie about it. Maybe she should just drop it, but she wants to know. If it's something that Bea did, maybe she can help. She doesn't mean to assume it's all on Bea, but she really doubts Allie could've done anything serious enough for them to not talk.

She sends her a text asking just about the same question. Allie's reply comes back after a few minutes with the same answer. It's the same story of their schedules being busy.

Deb doesn't buy it, but she doesn't press the issue any further. She just hopes that whatever happened resolves itself. They have such a good friendship, she'd hate for that to change for any reason.

* * *

Just days later, the day Bea's been simultaneously looking forward to and dreading for the last month has arrived. It's the morning of Harry's trial. It felt so far away a month ago, but here it is.

She's exhausted, last night was the worst sleep she's gotten in a long time. The nightmare she had about Harry getting off without so much as a slap on the wrist sure didn't help either, and only caused her to be even more nervous about today.

She lies on her back absentmindedly watching the ceiling fan spin round for a long while, not ready to face the day yet and wishing she could fast forward through it somehow. But, she can't. She rolls to her side and looks to her nightstand, her phone staring back at her menacingly.

Before going to bed last night, she typed a message to Allie inviting her over to talk, but couldn't work up the nerve to send it. Knowing she needs to get it over with eventually, she grabs her phone and unlocks it, said message still on the screen.

"Come on, Bea. Send it."

Maybe if she says it out loud, she can do it. Her thumb comes so close to the send button, she's surprised she doesn't hit it. After a second failed attempt, she sighs then sets her phone on her chest. It shouldn't be this hard to send a message.

Her phone goes off shortly after, the loud notification in the otherwise quiet room making her jump. She reads and replies to the message from Franky offering good luck and reassuring her that today will work out just fine.

A couple of minutes later, her phone goes off for a second time. She picks it up, surprised to see a text from the person she hasn't talked to in a week.

_**Hey. **_

She erases what she typed last night to send a reply, going with something more simple.

_Hi. How are you?_

_**I'm good, thanks. Look, I know things have been kind of weird between us. But I want you to know I'll still be there for you today. I don't think I can make it to the courthouse, but I'll try to be there before you and Deb get out. And I know in my heart things will go great, so don't you worry. **_

_Thank you for still being there, I really appreciate it. _

She quickly retypes and sends the message she's been holding off on as well.

_So, I think we should talk. Would you come and have dinner with me?_

"Two fucking sentences?" She chides herself after reading it. She feels ridiculous for waiting so long now.

_**Of course I will. When?**_

_Does tonight work for you?_

_**Sure it does, what time?**_

_I'll let you know. Deb's staying with a friend again, I'd rather her not be here. I can text you when she leaves?_

_**That works. Want me to bring anything?**_

_Just yourself._

_**Just myself it is. **_

Bea sets her phone aside, feeling better now that she got that over with. She reluctantly gets out of bed after checking the time, she and Deb need to be at the courthouse in just over two hours.

She heads to Deb's room to wake her up, surprised to find it empty. Following the sound of the tv playing quietly, she finds Deb curled up on the couch, idly flipping through the channels.

"Couldn't sleep," Deb says without looking up, knowing Bea's about to question why she's awake this early.

"I had a hard time too."

Looking out the window in the living room, Bea's greeted with the sight of dark clouds in the sky and rain coming down steadily. If that's not an ominous sign of today's outcome, she's not sure what is. Deb looks up, seeing the frown on her face. She knows what she's thinking.

"It's just rain, Mom. It's not a bad sign."

"I know, but I'd much rather have sunshine on a day like this. Anyway, do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure."

Bea gets a start on making breakfast, trying her best to ignore the feeling of dread and the knot in her stomach. She finishes cooking and as she and Deb eat, she runs scenarios through her head with less than ideal outcomes against her better judgement.

She's suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. From breakfast not agreeing with her, or making herself sick with worry, she's not sure.

She stands from the table and rushes to the bathroom before her food makes a reappearance. Once she's done emptying the contents of her stomach, she slides down to the floor, bringing her knees up and resting her arms on top of them.

Deb walks in to check on her after her sudden departure from the breakfast table. Bea looks up at her, sighing heavily.

"I don't know if I can do this, Deb."

Deb squats down in front of Bea, taking her hands into her own.

"You can do this, I know you can. Compared to everything you've dealt with, this will be a cakewalk. Just think, if you get through today, that's it. We'll never have to see Dad again and we can move on."

"You're right. You're always right."

Deb stands, offering Bea a hand and pulling her to her feet.

"I know. What can I do for you, is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't suppose you could fast forward through the next couple of hours for me?"

"I'm afraid not."

"I thought so. I'll be fine, once it's over and done with."

Deb leaves the room to let Bea start getting ready. The morning goes by faster than she wants it to, before she knows it, it's almost time to go.

She and Debbie are dressed in formal attire, suits they borrowed from Franky for the occasion. Why she had suits in her closet, she didn't explain and Bea didn't ask. With plenty of time to spare, they head for the courthouse to meet with the lawyer and go over some last-minute things.

A couple of days ago, Bea decided she didn't want to speak in court today. She's already gone through everything once, she can't do it again.

She gave her lawyer her testimony and Debbie's, trusting her to be their voices. Her lawyer assured her numerous times that today can only go in her favor.

She's confident that due to the scope of abuse, Harry will be charged harshly for it. And with the evidence stacked against him, she's certain things aren't looking good in terms of the case in his defense.

"We're prepared," she reminds Bea as they make their way into the courtroom and wait for it to fill.

"We've got this, Mom."

Deb grins at her widely, confidently. On the inside, she's just as nervous as Bea is. But she knows she needs to keep it together, for if Bea sees her worry, it'll make her even more uneasy which is the last thing she needs right now.

"When did you get so grown up?"

Bea feels a little less scared, seeing how unworried Debbie seems. She feels a bit more confident in today's events going well.

But once she sees _him_, all of her confidence goes out the window. Harry's lead into the room in cuffs. He finds Bea, and she can't keep herself from looking at his face.

He sends something of a smug smirk her way, making her feel so small all of a sudden. One look, and she's falling apart inside.

Deb picks up on this, she takes Bea's hand and squeezes it gently in an attempt to comfort her. Harry turns his attention to Deb, calling out to her.

"It'll all be over soon, Debs. We can be together again. As a family."

She ignores that and his other attempts to get her to talk to him until the officer that brought him in tells him to quiet down.

Bea turns to her lawyer, her mind now flooded with all manner of doubts, "What if he wins somehow, what if the charges get dropped? What am I supposed to do?"

"That won't happen."

"But what if the evidence got lost? Or destroyed or something? Then what?"

"There's multiple copies. All of the evidence is safe, I promise."

"But what if..."

"Bea. You're just going to have to trust me. Not to boast, but I'm very good at what I do. I've never lost a case like this."

"There's always a first time for everything though."

After hearing the exchange between them, Deb nudges Bea's arm with an elbow, "Mom, have some faith in her, would you?"

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, it's perfectly natural to have doubts. But I promise you, I have this."

Her lawyer gives her one last assuring smile as they're ordered to rise, the judge finally entering the room. The doors are shut, and the trial begins. Evidence is brought forth, various testimonies are given.

Over the course of the trial, Bea sees the jury judging her silently. She knows they're wondering why she would stay in such an abusive relationship for so many years. She knows they're wondering what kind of mother would expose their child to that violence.

By the end however, the judging gazes are redirected to the man that perpetrated said abuse. All of the evidence against Harry is damning, there's no denying what he did.

Bea sees several expressions of horror on the faces of certain jury members as more evidence is introduced. The awful stories she had written down in her journal, the pictures and the videos she took.

Once everything is covered, the judge calls a recess for the jury to deliberate and come to a verdict. Bea is trembling so badly while they wait, she can't even drink the coffee her lawyer hands to her. She gives it to Deb instead.

She sits quietly, bouncing a knee nervously. With her right hand, she taps each finger to her thumb, one at a time. She keeps the same pattern. Index, middle, ring, pinky. Index, middle, ring, pinky. This nervous tick tells Deb that Bea must be having some serious inner turmoil right about now.

Bea looks out of the window on the ceiling above her, anything to distract herself. The rain has cleared up and the sky is now blue, puffy clouds slowly floating by. She sees one that she swears looks like a seahorse.

She thinks of Allie and how much she wishes she could be here. Speaking of Allie, she's so distracted by her cloud watching that she doesn't notice the younger woman walk up to her and Deb, giving Deb a hug.

Allie had been able to get away from work for a bit and left for the courthouse in the hopes she could make it for the remainder of the trial. She was glad to see Bea and Deb sitting at the end of the hall as she rounded the corner, hopeful that meant she made it before the end.

Bea doesn't notice her walk closer, she looks to be pretty preoccupied right now. Allie puts a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hi."

Bea looks up, pleasantly surprised to see those all too familiar blue eyes and the smile she's come to adore.

"Allie?"

"That's me. Mind if I sit?"

Bea scoots over on the bench to make room for her, Allie sits.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't make it?"

"I was able to sneak away from work for a bit."

"I'm really glad you're here. It means a lot."

"I'm just glad I could make it. So, what's happening, what did I miss? It's not over yet, is it?"

"Not yet. We're just waiting on the verdict. You're just in time, Harry's about to be set free."

"Like hell he is. You know that won't happen, right? There's no way he'll get off easy."

"I know he won't, I'm just being ridiculous."

Minutes later, Bea's lawyer finally hears word that a verdict has been reached. She walks over to Bea who looks up at her in anticipation.

"It's time to go back in, they're ready for us."

"Okay. Can Allie come in with us? She's a friend."

"Sure, I don't see why not."

Bea runs a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh before following the lawyer and Deb back in. Allie walks next to her, Bea takes her hand and holds it the whole way.

They make it back to their seats and Bea focuses on her feet, not daring to look Harry's way again. She hates that he has that power over her, just a look from him enough to make her lose her composure.

Allie looks over at him and catches his eye. He recognizes her and sends a glare that she returns just as intensely.

The jury re-entering gets the whole room's attention, bringing an end to Allie's staring match with Harry. It's now the moment of truth, which charges stuck?

Bea squeezes Allie's hand tightly, tighter than ever before. She closes her eyes, expecting the worst.

The list of charges is read aloud, Harry is found guilty on every single one. Bea lets out the breath she was holding and the weight on her shoulders lifts instantly. She pays close attention to the judge as he begins to speak.

"In all my years as a judge, I can say I've never witnessed a case of abuse this heinous. I'm appalled by what I've seen here today."

He looks down at Harry with such distaste, it's almost chilling. If looks could kill...

He turns to Bea next.

"Ms. Smith, I know there's nothing I can say to undo the years of torment you've lived through, but I hope my sentencing today can bring you some sense of justice.

I wish you and your daughter the very best from today moving forward. Now, Mr. Smith, please stand."

The judge clears his throat before addressing Harry.

"At this time, I'm ordering you to be detained at the Walford correctional facility for a duration of twelve years. I'm denying any possibility of parole. That may be up for reconsideration over the course of your sentence, but it's unlikely in this case.

You're ordered to have no physical contact or attempts to make contact with Bea and Debbie Smith. You're ordered to have no communication and make no attempts at communication with Bea and Debbie Smith.

Failure to adhere to these orders will incur additional charges and time spent at the correctional facility I've mentioned. Do you understand this sentencing?"

Harry hangs his head in defeat, his lawyer speaks up for him.

"My client does, your honor."

"Effective immediately, you'll be returned into custody and your transfer will be processed. Ms. Smith, please keep in mind you have a responsibility to report any infractions Mr. Smith may commit during his sentence. Do you understand this?"

Bea nods slowly, not trusting her voice.

"I thank the jury for devoting your time and energy in aiding the justice system today. I officially adjourn this court session, you may all be dismissed."

And just like that, it's over. Twelve years. Did Bea hear that right? Twelve years, without a possibility of parole.

She feels brave enough to look Harry's direction, seeing him being led out of the room. He puts up a struggle along the way, but is quickly subdued. She feels a hand on her arm, Debbie's.

"He's gone, Mom. He's gone. We won."

"We won," Bea repeats.

Bea refuses to cry in the courtroom. She holds it together until the three of them make it outside. Allie sees the tears starting up, she pulls Bea into a hug, the floodgates opening just as Allie wraps her arms around her.

Bea holds onto her like she's about to fall off the face of the earth. Her tears stain Allie's shirt but Allie doesn't care. Not one bit.

"Twelve years, Allie. Twelve," Bea whispers after composing herself enough.

"I know. I was there, remember?"

"I know. I just... I wanted to say it out loud."

"I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

Allie sees Debbie standing back a bit, failing to hold back tears of her own. She steps away from Bea to pull her into the embrace as well.

"Get in here, Deb."

The three of them probably look nuts holding each other tightly in the middle of the parking lot, Bea and Debbie crying tears of joy. None of them care though, this is a special moment. They ignore the stares they receive from passers-by. Bea steps away first, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.

"I can't believe it. Is this really happening?"

"It's really happening, Bea," Allie confirms. "Congratulations, this is big. Now what, where are you going from here?"

"I don't know, really. I honestly didn't think this far ahead. I guess I'll just go home."

"I'd offer to take you two out to lunch, but I need to get back to the bar. Apparently the place is falling apart without me. Perks of being a manager, I guess."

"That's okay, I'll see you tonight anyway."

"Right. See you tonight."

Allie bids them farewell, they go their separate ways.

"You're going to see Allie tonight?" Deb asks once they're in the car.

"Yeah, she's coming over to have dinner with me."

"Good, I'm glad."

* * *

After they leave the courthouse, Bea drops Deb by the shelter after a quick detour at home to change out of their court clothes. Kaz had told Deb she didn't have to come in today, but Deb wanted to go and keep her mind occupied on a day like today.

Bea doesn't go straight home after dropping her off, she begins driving around with no particular destination in mind. Without really realizing it, she drives the same direction she and Allie walked that night after they went bowling.

Now that she sees this part of the city in the daytime, it's not scary in the slightest. She drives a bit further, coming to Adam's restaurant.

She thinks of her 'friend date' with Allie and finds herself wondering what it'd be like if the two of them went on a real one. If things go well when she talks with her, she might get the chance to find out.

She continues on, coming to the park with the overlook above it Allie took her to. With nothing pressing to do until tonight, she parks her car and gets out, then starts the climb uphill.

She reaches her destination, the view of the city is just as nice as she remembers. She sits on the bench, just taking it all in. The warm sun, the blue sky, the sense of freedom she feels now. No more Harry, for good this time. It almost feels like a dream.

Twelve years she'll have without him. She thinks of what life will be like in that time. Will Deb be married with kids of her own? Will she and Allie still be friends? More than?

After she's had enough of thinking about the future and sitting in the sun and the heat, she makes her way back to her car for the drive home, making a stop at the store along the way to pick up something to make for dinner with Allie.

It's a quarter after seven that night when Bea texts Allie to let her know that Deb has left. Not wanting to show up at Bea's empty handed, Allie stops by the bakery she knows Bea likes before she heads over to pick up a box of her favorite cookies.

She's a bit nervous as she walks up to Bea's front door, she also decided this morning that she's going to tell Bea how she feels about her. She's worried that it won't go well. If Bea doesn't feel the same after all, then what?

Unsure whether she should just walk in or not, she hesitates before deciding on ringing the doorbell instead. But before she can, Bea opens the door. She saw Allie pull up and watched her linger outside the door.

"Hey. Are you coming in, or do you just want to stand out here all night?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

**Well, it like Harry's gone for good. I'm no expert on court proceedings, so if things were completely unrealistic, my apologies. Until the next chapter, be well.**


End file.
